It's Hard to Say Goodbye
by mia2009
Summary: This story picks up exactly where Season 2 ended, with Chuck uttering the words.."Guys, I know Kung Fu."
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_**This story picks up right where season two ended which chuck uttering the words "Guys, I know Kung Fu."**_

_**Chapter 1**_

"**It's Hard to Say Goodbye"**

"Guys, I know kung fu."

Chuck stared at his hands in disbelief. Two lethal weapons that just took out five highly skilled super spies on their own. Before he could utter another word Chuck dropped to his knees. The intense pressure building in his head. It was becoming too much for him. His eyes rolled back in his head and his hands flew to his temples struggling for some sort of relief. Sarah and Casey were by his side in seconds.

"Chuck!" Sarah rushed to catch him as he collapsed. Casey searched the unconscious men that surrounded them until he found a knife on one of them. He quickly went to work cutting the ties that bound his hands together. As soon as he freed himself, he rushed to Sarah to free her from her confines as well.

Once her hands were free she was able to cradle Chuck's head in her lap. "Chuck? Can you hear me? Chuck?" tears began to well in her eyes. Chuck was pale, his body was convulsing and he looked like he was in excruciating pain. She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Please be okay."

"Walker. We have to get out of here." Casey recovered several weapons from the bodies closest to him and instructed Sarah to do the same. She wasn't exactly thinking straight right now. Sarah quickly retrieved two guns and was back by Chuck's side in a matter of seconds. Sarah helped Casey get Chuck to his feet. Casey slung Chuck over his shoulder and proceeded towards the door. "Cover us." Casey ordered Sarah as he motioned for her to go ahead of him. The three of them made their way out of the secret compound in no time. Sarah immediately got on her phone to call in their back team for clean up and recovery of the spies Chuck had single handedly taken out.

"We have to get Chuck checked out Casey. He doesn't look good." Sarah pleaded from the back seat of the crown vic.

"We can't exactly just walk into the hospital with him now can we?" Casey grunted from the driver's seat.

"We need to get him someplace safe. We can't bring him to castle. It's been compromised." Sarah stroked Chuck's cheek, his head resting in her lap.

"Well we can't bring him back to his place. The reception is still going on."

"We'll bring him to my place, it's secure there and we can contact Beckman." Sarah ran her fingers through Chuck's hair, playing with a few unruly curls. Chuck seemed to be a little more comfortable now and didn't appear to be in anymore pain. Still Sarah was very concerned. He had been unconscious for nearly half an hour now and was showing no signs of waking up.

Casey pulled into a back alley near Sarah's apartment building. He slung Chuck over his shoulder again and the three of them entered the hotel through the back entrance where they proceeded up to Sarah's room via the service elevator. Surprisingly they made it to Sarah's room without running into anyone. Casey flopped Chuck down on Sarah's bed as she went to work trying to get through to Beckman.

Finally after several attempts at contact, Beckman's face appeared on Sarah's TV screen. Casey and Sarah filled her in on the events of the night. Beckman was none too pleased to hear of Bryce or the destruction of the new intersect. She was even more unnerved to hear that Chuck uploaded the new intersect before destroying it; however, Beckman agreed that right now their main concern was Chuck's well being and protecting the intersect at all costs. Sarah and Casey were to assume the role of Chuck's handlers once again at least for the time being, they were to protect Chuck at all costs. Beckman dispatched one of their doctors to examine Chuck. Dr. Haz would be arriving at 0900 until then Chuck was to be under their watchful eyes at all times. Sarah, Chuck and Casey were scheduled for their next debriefing at 1200.

"Before signing off, I just want to say that despite the evenings losses, we came out on top here. While Agent Larkin will be considered a significant loss to the operation along with the destruction of the new intersect, what Bartowski did was nothing short of remarkable, considering he spent the last two years trying to get the intersect removed from his head. Am I to understand that if it were not for Bartowski, none of you would be standing here right now"

"That's right General." Casey replied. "Bartowski saved our lives tonight, in doing so he put a significant dent in the ring's operation."

"I see Colonel Casey. Well I look forward to speaking with Mr. Bartowski tomorrow." Before anyone could get in another word. The tv screen went blank. Sarah turned her attention back to the man who still lied unconscious on her bed.

"Well Walker, you up for babysitting tonight? I'll go run a sweep through castle, check security and find out what I can about this new threat of ours."

"Yeah…sure. Let me know what you find out. I'll have Chuck at castle to meet with the doctor in the morning." Sarah walked Casey to the door and closed it behind him and latched the dead bolt. She released a heavy sigh. It had been one hell of a night and it was far from over.

Her attention once again turned to Chuck. She made her way to the bed. Climbing up next to him she began checking his vitals once again. His pulse was steady and his color was good. She leaned down close to him to monitor his breathing. It was no longer labored like it had been at the compound, it was steady and controlled. Relief swept over Sarah as she relaxed next to Chuck on the bed.

Sarah watched Chuck intently. He seemed relaxed, so content, so at ease. She couldn't help but be a little envious of that.

Sarah's mind drifted to earlier that evening. It wasn't even two hours ago that Chuck had held her in his arms as they swayed back and forth on the dance floor. Sarah was about to tell him everything when his father had interrupted them. Sarah Walker didn't want to save the world. She wanted all the same things Chuck did. And more importantly, she wanted them with Chuck. She wondered if she would ever be able to tell him this now.

Sarah laid down next to Chuck, resting her head on his chest. She draped one arm across his stomach. Sarah closed her eyes and allowed a single tear to fall down her cheek as she fell into a restless sleep.

Like clock work, Sarah woke up every hour to check on Chuck. Finally sometime around 4 in the morning she got out of bed and moved to the chair by his bedside. Her mind kept drifting back to 3 days ago when she had woken up with Chuck at the motel in Barstow. The morning that changed everything. How she wished she could have stop time at that very moment.

Things have been off between them since earlier in the day when she told Chuck she was leaving. She had no choice, it was her job, she had her orders. Or was she just making excuses again? Excuses to keep her distance, to protect her heart from what she knew was the inevitable.

She thought she had been in love before with Bryce, but what did she know about love?

Sarah's mother died when she was only six years old. Right after, her father had swept her away from her grandparents, the two people she adored most in the world. She lived a life on the run, doing con jobs with her father until the FBI finally caught up with him. And during those years, the only love her father could ever show her was a large ice cream cone or a $20 bill thrown her way for a job well done. What did Sarah Walker know about love?

Sarah brought her knees close to her chest hugging them tightly. She closed her eyes for what she meant to be only a few minutes but when she opened them again she noticed the faint sunlight peeking through the blinds. She looked at the clock on her nightstand, it read 6:47. Chuck was still asleep. Sarah was worried. Chuck had been out for hours. What if the new intersect caused him some permanent damage. Sarah was about to get up to check his vitals once again, when she noticed Chuck beginning to stir. She quickly rushed to the bed. Kneeling by his side, she held his hand with one hand and stroked his cheek with the other. "Chuck?…… Chuck…wake up."

Chuck moaned as he came to. His eyes blinked a few times before he could manage to keep them open. "Uhh… S….Sarah?" he managed to get out.

"Chuck?…Chuck, I'm right here." another tear fell from Sarah's eyes. One thing was for sure, she was sick of all this crying.

"Sarah." he looked at her intently, concern looming in his eyes. "What's the matter? …Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I should be asking you that question." she replied.

"Sarah…you're crying." Chuck managed to sit himself up in the bed. His hand moved to Sarah's face. Ever so gently he ran his thumb over her cheek to brush the tear away.

"Apparently it's something I do." She smiled. "Are you okay?" she turned the discussion back to him.

"I'm fine. Got a little headache but I don't think it's anything a couple aspirin couldn't fix."

Sarah pulled away from Chuck abruptly. "Let me get you some." She tried to get up quickly but Chuck caught hold of her arm.

"Sarah wait." Sarah froze. Shivers trickled down her spine. His touch always did that to her. Sarah's eyes met Chuck's and she thought she was going to lose it. There was no holding back now. The waterworks were in full force. "Sarah?" he pulled her into a tight embrace. She sobbed into his chest as he traced soothing circles on her back. "What is it?… Talk to me Sarah."

"Why Chuck? Why did you do it?… Why did you upload the new intersect? You were free and now…" Sarah turned away from him. It hurt too much looking him in the eyes. All she ever wanted was to protect him and she had failed. Had she been there none of this ever would have happened. "We shouldn't have let you come."

Sarah removed herself from the bed and walked towards the window. She noticed the sun was high in the sky now as she looked out.

"Sarah. I had to do it. Bryce was dying, he gave me the cartridge to destroy the intersect, told me how I couldn't let it fall into the wrong hands. All these things were going through my mind. I felt this sense of obligation, to my country, my father, you."

Sarah turned to face him. The tears still pooled in her eyes.

"It was the only way Sarah. I knew I had to destroy the intersect, but at the same time I knew I had to protect it."

Sarah turned again to look out the window. "And I have to protect you." She replied. It came out as nearly a whisper.

"Sarah this doesn't change anything." Chuck moved from the bed and came to stand behind her.

"It changes everything Chuck. You are the asset and I'm your handler. We can't be together." She replied coldly.

"You were my handler when we were in Barstow? How is it different now?" Chuck moved in closer to her until he was now standing directly behind her. He brought his arms around her waist.

"Chuck." She tried to protest but she couldn't fight it for long and found herself relaxing into his embrace.

" I didn't risk everything for things to end like this. We're going to be together. I promise you Sarah. I'm going to fix this." Chuck tightened his arms around Sarah, he leaned in and brushed his lips ever so gently against Sarah's head.

Their moment was interrupted by Sarah's cell phone ringing. She removed herself from Chuck's embrace and moved to her night stand to retrieve it.

"It's Casey." she said looking at the screen. "Casey, did you find anything?…..Really?…. no. He just woke up…. No I haven't told him yet." Sarah looked at the clock by her bed. "Okay, let me fill him in. We'll meet you at Castle in an hour…..Okay" Sarah hung up the phone and put it back on her night stand.

"What was that about?….Tell me what?" Chuck questioned.

"Beckman has a doctor coming in to examine you. You blacked out for hours after your flash last night, you were in excruciating pain. We have to make sure there was no permanent damage."

"Yeah, umm last time Beckman sent a doctor to examine me, he kidnapped you with plans to torture you and then tried to kill me."

"Don't worry Chuck. This doctor doesn't know anything about the intersect, just that you had some head trauma last night. Casey and I will be with you the whole time. Then we have a debriefing with Beckman at 1200, she'll tell us how she wants us to proceed."

"Great." Chuck replied sarcastically.

"So, how about those aspirin now?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks everyone for the great feedback. This is my first Chuck fanfic, so feedback is greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

_Discailmer: I own nothing!_

**"It's Hard to Say Goodbye" **

**Chapter 2**

Sarah and Casey read through Casey's latest research while they awaited Dr. Haz's arrival. Chuck sat off to the corner lost in his thoughts. When she thought Casey wasn't looking Sarah would steal glances of Chuck and wonder what was going through his head. She knew he was nervous about his meeting with Dr. Haz, but she couldn't help but feel there was something more that was weighing heavily on his mind.

Casey's phone rang, bringing Sarah back to reality. "Yeah?' he answered. He was always so cordial. "Okay, I'll meet you out front." Casey hung up. "Looks like our guy is here. Two of Beckman's men are escorting him in. His ETA is five minutes. I'm gonna meet him outside. Keep an eye on the surveillance. If something seems off, get Bartowski out of here."

"Got it." Sarah moved to the monitors and typed in some codes causing the screens to zoom in. She watched Casey on the monitor as he stood outside of the Orange Orange. Chuck joined her in watching as a black Escalade pulled up and three men jumped out. Casey greeted them and engaged in conversation before allowing them to enter castle.

"You think these guys are legit?" Chuck asked, pulling Sarah's attention away from the monitor in front of her.

"Huh?….Yeah…. I mean I hope so." Sarah could sense Chuck's nerves kicking in. "You're worried?" it was really more of a statement than a question.

"I can't help but think we're inviting danger in Sarah." Chuck looked at her with pleading eyes.

"We have back up in place should anything go wrong. But it won't Chuck, not this time. We're prepared for anything."

Her attention turned back to the monitors. She watched as Casey usher the men inside. Sarah brought Chuck to the Castle's small bunker in the back that housed two cots, an exam table and an assortment of medical supplies.

"Wait here, I'll go get Dr. Haz." Sarah turned for the door, but Chuck stopped her.

"Sarah?"

"Yeah Chuck?"

"Wish me luck?"

Sarah smiled at the man before her. She leaned in and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "Good luck." She said before making her exit.

Chuck paced the room as he waited for Sarah to return with the doctor. He looked up at the monitor and saw her greet the doctor out in the corridor. Sarah, Casey and the doctor seemed to be deep in conversation for what seemed like forever. Chuck turned away from the monitors. It was giving him headache. He was deep in thought once again when he heard the bunker door open. In walked Dr. Haz followed closely by Sarah. Chuck turned to the monitors and saw Casey sitting down with Beckman's men about to engage in what looked like a game of Poker. Great Chuck thought. Here I am about to get my brain examined and my handler is playing games.

"Ah you must be Agent Carmichael? I'm Dr. Haz." the doctor said extending his hand to Chuck.

"Doctor." Chuck said extending his own hand.

"I understand you suffered some head trauma last night?"

"It was nothing, I think everyone is overreacting a little." Chuck replied. Sarah shot daggers at him.

"Well apparently it was serious enough that General Beckman wanted me to get out here right a way to check you out, so why don't you let me be the judge of that. Shall we?" The doctor motioned for Chuck to take a seat on the exam table.

Chuck sat down hesitantly. The doctor began his exam with some basic questions. Chuck's answers mirrored those that Sarah had rehearsed with him for the past two hours. The same answers she had given the doctor when she met with him in the corridor. The doctor proceeded to do some vision tests using different lights. He then hooked up some monitors to Chuck's head to get a read on recent brain wave activity. Chuck's brain wave activity was off the charts. "Interesting." the doctor stated as he wrote down some notes.

"What is it doctor?" Sarah questioned, concern in her voice.

"Agent Carmichael seems to have had …how do I explain this….a major boost in brain wave activity within the past 24 hours. Now what caused that I can't say. If it caused him any permanent damage I can't determine yet, I'll need to do some more tests."

"What kind of tests?" Sarah prodded.

"Well Agent Walker, the best way for me to determine the brunt of the damage, if any, would be to insert these." the doctor pulled two thin wire like devices from his bag. "What I do is I insert these through the skull and directly in the nerves. The other ends will be hooked up to this monitor. I will then adjust the pressure waves accordingly and it will help determine the effect if any, the head trauma may have caused Agent Carmichael." Chuck's mouth dropped.

"Doctor, is that really necessary? I mean, can't we just monitor him and watch for any further symptoms of head trauma?" Sarah questioned.

"Sure, you could do that. But lots of times with head trauma, when you start to see these symptoms it's already too late to do anything. It's up to you Agent Carmichael how you want to proceed."

Chuck couldn't make eye contact with Sarah at that very moment. He knew what she was going to say. "Will it be painful doctor?" was all Chuck could say.

"Yes it will be , but it won't last for long." the doctor replied.

"Okay, lets get this over with." Chuck conceded.

"Lay back and we'll get started." Dr. Haz instructed as he went about gathering his instruments.

Sarah rushed to Chuck's side. "Chuck, you don't have to do this."

"Sarah it'll be fine, like the doctor said, you have to be careful with head traumas, it could be too late when symptoms finally show up. I have to trust Beckman here." Sarah just nodded, she knew she wasn't going to talk him out it. "Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Hold my hand?" He reached for her hand and without hesitation she accepted his into her own and moved closer to him.

"Okay Agent Carmichael, I need you to remain completely still while I insert the wires. I'm going to apply some restraints to prevent any movement." the doctor went to work restraining Chuck. His body was tied down to the table tightly. Chuck gave Sarah's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay agent Carmichael, remain very still I'm about to start." the doctor moved in closely to insert the wires. Chuck squeezed Sarah's hand tighter and tighter as the wires were inserted. For what seemed like the millionth time that day, the tears welled in Sarah's eyes. She couldn't bear seeing Chuck in such pain. Once the wires were inserted, Chuck's grasp on Sarah eased up.

"Okay Agent Carmichael, I'm going to start the pressure waves, you may feel nothing, you may feel some pain. I'll be tracking the results on the monitor." the doctor moved closer to the monitor to start the tests. Sarah took the opportunity to move closer to Chuck, she wanted him to know that she was with him every step of the way.

The doctor began sending the pressure waves. Chuck laid silently, there seemed to be no effect on him. A few minutes later the doctor increased the intensity of the pressure waves. He continued to do this every few minutes. It wasn't until nearly twenty minutes into the procedure that Chuck started to appear uncomfortable. Sarah whispered soothing words in his ear as the doctor documented his findings. Dr. Haz continued to increase the pressure waves. Chuck was growing more and more uneasy, he groaned a few times through gritted teeth. Sarah could swear she saw a tear roll down his cheek, or was it that her vision was clouded from her own tears that were falling.

"I think we should stop!" she pleaded with the doctor. "He's had enough.

"Agent Walker the test isn't complete yet, I assure you he is fine." The doctor replied before increasing the intensity of the waves once again. The doctor went about recording his finding as the test continued. Chuck squeezed Sarah's hand as tight as he could he was obviously in a lot of pain. She leaned in an placed a kiss on his cheek in an attempt to try to take his mind off some of the pain he was feeling it that was at all possible. Again the doctor increased the intensity of the waves again. Chuck Groaned loudly in pain. His body convulsed under the tight restraints. Sarah gasped when she saw the blood dripping from his ears.

"Stop!!….Stop the test now, that's an order!" Sarah exclaimed jumping to her feet. The doctor turned off the machine and immediately turned his attention to his patient. Chuck's body went limp and he seemed to release a sigh of relief that the torture had stopped. "Just remain still Agent Carmichael. I need to remove the wires and give you a thorough exam."

The doctor went to work removing the wires from Chuck's head. He examined Chuck and found him to be perfectly fine. The bleeding from Chuck's ears had stopped and he appeared to be resting comfortably. "Agent Carmichael, I'm going to remove the restraints but want you to remain lying still. Do you understand?"

"Yes Doctor." Chuck replied weakly.

After the restraints were removed the doctor moved to the far end of the bunker where he could sit and go over his findings. Sarah moved in close to Chuck once again, She ran her hand though his hair, causing his eyes to dart open looking for her.

"Sarah." Her name came out soft, almost as a whisper.

"I'm right here. Are you okay?" she asked.

"I think so. That was really stupid,….maybe I shouldn't have let him do that." Chuck smiled that goofy smile of his. Sarah didn't laugh.

'It's not funny Chuck."

"I know. I'm sorry….Thank you for staying with me."

"There's no place else I would have been." She leaned in and brushed her lips gently against his.

The doctor approached them. "How are you feeling Agent Carmichael?"

"Better." Chuck replied.

"Do you want to sit up?" The doctor extended his hand to Chuck in an effort to assist him. Sarah grabbed Chuck's other arm and slowly the two of them brought Chuck to a sitting position. "Easy now, nice and slow." Dr. Haz instructed.

"Here, take these." the doctor handed Chuck a couple of pills for pain. Sarah grabbed a small paper cup by the sink and filled it with some water for chuck.

Chuck took the pills from the doctor, he tossed them in his mouth and chased them with the water that Sarah had waiting for him.

"Well agent Carmichael, I've been over the results numerous times and there doesn't appear to be any permanent damage at this time, however, I can't say for certain that there won't be any in the future. I'm still confused as to what could have caused this increase in brain wave activity that you exhibited, but overall, I would have to say you are in perfect health."

"Oh thank God." escaped Sarah's lips. Apparently louder than she had expected because both Chuck and the Doctor turned their attention to her.

Chuck smiled as her cheeks turned a nice shade of red from embarrassment.

"So now what doctor?" Chuck asked inquisitively.

"Well, I'm going to go over the results with General Beckman and I imagine be on my way. It was nice meeting you Agent Carmichael." He extended his hand to Chuck once again. Chuck shook his hand.

"You to doctor, perhaps next time we can do without the torture."

The doctor laughed. "Agreed, Agent Carmichael." and with that the doctor left to go give his report to Beckman.

Once the doctor was out of the room Chuck turned his attention to Sarah. "Hey, come here." he said as he stretched out his hands to her. She accepted them and he pulled her close. She now stood directly in front of him their hands clasped tightly.

" Are you sure you feel okay? Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"I'm fine Sarah, really. …There is something you could do for me though."

"Anything." she replied.

"Well, I was just thinking that maybe we could pick up where we left off with that kiss." Chuck flashed her a flirtatious smile.

Sarah smiled back. "Well, I guess if it will make you feel better." she replied bashfully. He made her feel things she never felt before and she loved every minute of it.

"Oh I think it will." he said seductively as he leaned in for a kiss. She met him half way and their lips danced briefly. It was soft, sensual, sweet and pure. As their lips parted, Chuck pulled her body closer. He wasn't ready to end contact with her just yet. Their foreheads rested against one another. "Sarah….I.." the door the bunker flew open.

"Agent Carmichael, Agent Walker, sorry for the interruption." Doctor Haz apologized. Sarah quickly pulled away from Chuck, he immediately felt the impact of her distance. Chuck's attention turned to the doctor.

"Doctor did you forget something?" Chuck asked.

"No Agent Carmichael. It's just. General Beckman would like to speak with you privately before your debriefing with your team. She asked me to have you turn on your monitor." Chuck looked at Sarah who seemed surprised by Beckman's request. "Thank you doctor." Chuck replied as he reached for the remote to the monitor that hung on the wall.

"Ill see the doctor out. Casey and I will wait for you for our debriefing." Sarah said as she ushered the doctor out of the door. Chuck nodded as he watched them leave. He turned his attention back to the monitor and hit the switch on the remote.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks everyone for all the great feedback. This is my first Chuck fic, so all your feedback is very encouraging. Anyway, hope you enjoy Chapter 3.**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_

**It's Hard to Say Goodbye**

**Chapter 3**

Beckman's face appeared on the screen in front of him. To Chuck's surprise she didn't look nearly as mad as he expected her to.

"Mr. Bartowski. Or should I say Agent Carmichael?" Beckman greeted Chuck.

"General, I know you're probably pretty upset with me right now. That seems to be the consensus around here, but let me explain." Chuck replied.

For once the General listened intently and without interruption while Chuck walked the General through the events of last night. When he concluded his story the General sat silently contemplating all of what she had just heard.

"Chuck, I have to say I'm surprised by your actions last night and I have to say quite impressed. For someone who has spent two years trying to rid himself of the burden the intersect has had on his life, a burden you never asked for, you sure seemed to welcome it with open arms."

"Well, General, I wouldn't exactly say that I welcomed it….I just knew I had to protect it."

"And you did Chuck. You do realize there is no turning back now?"

"Yes General."

"This new intersect, it's not like the last one Chuck. I know you probably realize that better than anyone else by now. Agent Carmichael is no longer a cover Bartowski. It's who you are. You chose it this time and you need to embrace it. Chuck, I need you to come in, we need to see what you are capable of, you need training. You are the most valuable piece of intelligence in the world and that is not to be taken lightly. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes General…but…How long will I be gone?" Chuck asked.

"That depends on you Chuck. How fast you adapt, how quickly you learn. We need you ready for the field. It could be a few weeks, could be months."

"What about Sarah and Casey? What happens to them? Where do they fit into all this?"

"Well as instructed yesterday, Agent Walker is still heading up the new intersect project, she is your team leader. Colonel Casey was set to ship out, however with this unexpected turn of events, he is being re-called back to work side by side with you and Agent Walker. I'm also in negotiations to secure some other vital key players in this operation to join your team, not necessarily to work side by side with, but you're team will need outside reinforcements. I am confident that Agent Walker will be efficient as their commander in chief."

"General… about Agent Walker.." Chuck started.

"Yes? What about her?"

"General, you know that Sarah and I are….close…I've never made my feelings for her a secret and I'm not about to start now."

"What are you getting at Bartowski?"

"General…surely there are agents who are in relationships, possibly even married, Have families?"

"Well, yes not many in this line of work, but some do."

"General…I love her…. As her asset we could never pursue anything. Two days ago, I felt like I had my life back. I was free of the intersect, I was free to love her, to be with her. The intersect has cost me so much already. And yet to protect this country I took that burden on again….General, I will not let her go. We deserve a shot, to see if this is going anywhere…I deserve this General." Chuck pleaded.

"Very well Agent Carmichael" Beckman replied.

"I'm sorry what?" Chuck was dumbfounded.

"I said very well… Chuck once you return from training, Walker and Casey will no longer be your handlers. You will be working together as equals. You are free to pursue whatever you like with whomever you like, assuming it doesn't effect your work."

Chuck was shocked, it was almost as if she had a heart. "Do you think that maybe you could explain this to Sarah cuz I don't know if she'll believe it coming from me."

"Very well Bartowski. Meet up with your team and I will be back in fifteen minutes for your briefing." and with that the screen went blank once again.

Chuck just stood there for a few minutes. He couldn't believe what had just transpired with Beckman. Finally, everything with Sarah could be out in the open. They could be together. Chuck decided to join up with his team and await General Beckman.

Sarah paced the floor as she waited for Chuck to emerge from the bunker. He had been in there for a long time now and she was dying to know what the General was saying to him.

"Easy there Walker, you're gonna wear a hole in the concrete."

Sarah shot Casey a look and he grunted in response. Just then Chuck emerged from the bunker causing Sarah and Casey's attention to turn to him.

"Chuck." Sarah rushed to his side. "What did Beckman have to say?" She was eager to know.

"Well, you know the usual." He smirked moving in closer.

"No Chuck, I don't know." She was obviously a little perturbed. She turned to move away from him.

"Sarah?" Chuck pleaded.

"Nice one Romeo." Casey chuckled. Chuck shot him a glare and was about to respond when the large screen monitor switched on and General Beckman appeared before them.

Chuck, Sarah and Casey moved in, gathering around the monitor. Chuck briefly made eye contact with Sarah, only for her to look away. In defeat Chuck turned his attention back to the monitor once again.

The General filled the team in on the latest plan. She informed them that Chuck would be shipping out in the morning to report to one of the CIA's top training facilities in D.C., where he would undergo tests, evaluations and special advanced training. Chuck glanced in Sarah's direction while Beckman spoke of his departure, she didn't look very happy. Beckman went on explaining what was expected of Agent Walker and Colonel Casey while Chuck was away training. Sarah and Casey had orders to dig deep. Find anything that could infiltrate the Ring or it's associates. They needed to get close to them at any cost. Sarah was briefed on her new leader status and latest role with the project. Her new recruits would be arriving late tomorrow afternoon. She would have a face to face briefing with, assess their skills and place them where she saw fit.

"Agent Walker, I want to congratulate you on your promotion, don't let us down."

"Yes General." Sarah's response was direct and lacked emotion which didn't go unnoticed by the rest of her team.

"Do any of you have any questions?" Beckman asked after giving out her new orders.

"No General." replied Casey and Sarah in unison.

"Very well then. Colonel Casey, I have a package waiting for you at LAX, You know the drill." Beckman replied.

"Yes General." and with that Casey was off.

"Agent Walker, Agent Carmichael a few more minutes of your time if you don't mind."

"Of course not General, what is it." Sarah replied, curious as to what else the General might have to say.

"Agent Walker, Agent Carmichael has made his feelings for you very clear to me in private conversations. He has expressed a desire to pursue some sort of relationship with you. As you know a handler does not get involved with her asset."

"Of course not General." Sarah's response was quick and dry.

"However Agent Walker, I want to make it clear to you that once Agent Carmichael leaves tomorrow for D.C. you and Colonel Casey are no longer his handlers. When Chuck returns from his training he will be your equals in every way not to mention an extremely valuable member of your team."

Sarah turned her attention to Chuck. His eyes remained focus on the floor but he knew Sarah was watching him. A smile crept across Sarah's face.

"Chuck, Sarah, you are both free to pursue relationships with whoever you like as long as it doesn't interfere with your work. That said, Chuck I would get packing, your flight leaves at 0900." and with that the screen went blank again and she was gone.

Now Sarah was the one who looked dumbfounded. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. She turned her attention to Chuck once again. "Did she just say what I think she said?"

"Umm… I don't know …what do you think she said?" Chuck flashed her that killer smile of his.

"You did this? Chuck, what did you say to her?" Sarah was beaming.

"I told her the truth Sarah. The intersect has cost me enough already. I've given up so much for this country and I can't do it anymore. We deserve our chance and I just pleaded our case."

Sarah threw her arms around Chuck's neck and pulled him close. He wrapped his arms around her and closed the gap between them. "I told you I would fix this." he whispered in her ear. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine.

"So, how about helping me pack?"

Sarah's happy, upbeat demeanor quickly changed. "Hey, what is it?" Chuck asked, the concern apparent in his voice.

Sarah stepped away from his embrace, taking a few steps away from him, her back was to him now. "I just realized, you're leaving in the morning. It could be months before I see you again."

Chuck approached her from behind and place his hands gently on her shoulders. He leaned in when he spoke. "Sarah, I am determined to come back as soon as humanly possible. Besides, I have the super intersect in my head now, it kind of gives me a little boost in case you didn't notice."

Sarah smiled. "Yeah I noticed."

"So the only question now is how am I going to spend my last night in town and more importantly who am I going to spend it with?"

Sarah turned again to face him. "Well…I might have an idea or two." she said. "Maybe we should get that packing out of the way."

"Ah, lead the way Agent Walker." Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and led him towards the door.

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

_**Chapter 4 spoilers: Very long chapter with lots of Charah!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Casey entered castle carrying the box he had just retrieved at LAX. He immediately went to work opening it to exam its contents. The box contained several files on the new recruits Sarah would be expecting tomorrow. He pulled out his phone and dialed his partner.**

"**Walker." she finally answered on the third ring.**

"**You got a package here from Beckman. She sent files of all the new recruits you have coming in tomorrow afternoon. You should probably get over here and go through them."**

**Sarah watched as Chuck tucked his toothbrush into the side pocket of his duffel bag. "Casey, I'm not coming in tonight. Chuck is leaving in the morning and I want to spend some time with him before he goes." **

**Chuck sat on the edge of his bed. He reached for the picture that had graced his nightstand. It was a picture of him and Sarah taken a couple of months ago at one of Ellie's famous dinner parties. Chuck smiled as he ran his finger over the image of the smiling couple inside the frame. Sarah watched as Chuck placed the picture into his bag and zipped it up.**

"**Oh I bet you do. When are you going to learn to keep it in your pants Walker?" Casey spat out from the other end of the phone.**

**Sarah rolled her eyes. "Casey just go through the files. After Chuck boards his plane tomorrow I'll have time to look them over before they arrive. You can fill me in on anything that might stand out." **

"**Fine Walker, but I'm not going to do your job for you. You better be on your game tomorrow." Casey hung up abruptly. Sarah just shook her head and did the same.**

"**Problems with Casey?" Chuck asked noticing the frustrated look on Sarah's face.**

"**What?….oh you know, just Casey being Casey." Sarah said as she took a seat on the bed next to him. "So did you pack everything you need?" **

"**Yeah. Beckman told me to pack lightly, just the necessities. She said where I'm going I'll be well taken care of."**

**Sarah leaned against Chuck. Her head came to rest near his shoulder. Chuck reached for her hand, their fingers laced together. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.**

"**Sarah?" his voice slightly louder than a whisper.**

"**Yeah?" She lifted her head to look up at him.**

"**Sarah, before I go….I just want to tell you…" before Chuck could finish, he was interrupted by a loud knocking on the door. Chuck let out a sigh. "Hold that thought." he said as he got up from the bed and headed to the front door. Sarah followed suit.**

**The pounding on the door persisted until Chuck finally made it to the living room. "Okay, Okay, I'm coming." he said as he approached the door. Sarah by his side.**

**Chuck opened the door to find Morgan and Anna standing there holding a large pizza and 2 six packs. "Morgan?…Hey buddy…what are you doing here?" Chuck asked before glancing over to the beautiful blonde by his side.**

**Morgan squeezed his way pass Chuck and Sarah, making his way into the Bartowski living room, Anna followed closely behind. "Well Chuck, our flight leaves for Hawaii in three hours and I thought who better to spend my last few moments in LA with than my best buddy. Anna and I picked up a pizza and some cold brewskies and thought we could have one last meal together. Who knows how long it will be before we see each other again." Morgan set the pizza and beer down on the coffee table and took a seat on the couch.**

"**Morgan that's great and all, it's just Sarah and I had made plans for dinner tonight. In fact we were just about to head out."**

**Sarah couldn't help but feel bad when she saw the look of disappointment come over Morgan's face. She grabbed Chuck by the arm. "Chuck it's fine. We have time to have some dinner with Morgan and Anna before they head out. Surely we can spare an hour of our time for your best friend." **

**Chuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. He concluded that either Sarah was the most incredible, unselfish, caring woman he ever met in his life, or perhaps she was trying to avoid spending time alone with him.**

"**It's settled then. Anna grab some plates from the kitchen." Morgan exclaimed as he threw open the pizza box and started to dig in. Sarah grabbed Chuck's hand and led him over to the sofa where they both took a seat next to Morgan. Chuck gave her a puzzling look. Anna proceeded to hand out plates while Morgan began passing out beers to everyone. **

"**So Morgan, do you guys know where you're going to stay yet?" Sarah asked while she picked at the olives on her pizza, scrutinizing it very closely for any remains. Chuck smiled, he knew she disliked olives and found it amusing the lengths she would go to to remove every single trace of them before proceeding to take a bite of her pizza.**

"**Well we have a reservation at this quaint little bed and breakfast. Got a great deal on an extended two week stay while we look for something a little more permanent." Morgan stated before inhaling half of his slice of pizza in one bite.**

**The four of them talked about Hawaii and Morgan's plans for the good part of an hour. Fifteen minutes later chuck was finally able to convince Morgan that he should get headed over to the airport. He didn't mean to rush them, but he had his own goodbyes to say tonight and he wanted as much time as he could get. **

**Morgan pulled Chuck into a big embrace and Sarah was pretty sure she saw Morgan shed a tear as the two said their goodbyes. Sarah hugged the couple as well and wished them a safe trip. Chuck ad Sarah watched the two make their exit and closed the door behind them. Chuck then turned his attention back to Sarah.**

"**What was that?" he asked obviously confused by her actions tonight.**

"**What was what?" she questioned.**

"**Sarah…I thought we were going to go have a nice dinner together….you know, just the two of us?" Chuck looked a little hurt.**

"**I know Chuck, but he's your best friend. What were we supposed to do? You know Morgan's always been jealous of the time we spend together. Besides he's leaving tonight, who knows when you'll see him again. I know it would bother you if you didn't get a proper goodbye with him."**

"**What about my**__**proper goodbye with **_**you**_** Sarah?"**

**Sarah moved in closer to Chuck and placed her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it would upset you Chuck. I honestly thought you would regret it if you didn't have that time with him."**

**Chuck could see the sadness in her eyes and he knew she wasn't looking for a reason to avoid being alone with him; she was merely that truly incredible, unselfish, caring woman who put everyone else's needs before her own. Chuck leaned in a kissed her tenderly on her lips. When the two parted, they were both a little winded. Chuck gazed into her eyes with pure desire. Sarah felt it too. She managed to pull away before things got out of hand. "What time is it?" She asked him.**

**Chuck snapped back to reality with the question. He glanced at the watch on his wrist. The watch she had given him nearly two years ago. "It's about quarter after 8. Why?"**

"**Well, I know we missed out on our private dinner, but how about going out for some dessert?"**

"**We could do that, or we could stay here and have some….dessert." Chuck suggested with a wink.**

"**Chuck." Sarah blushed.**

"**Okay, okay." Chuck conceded. "Let me just throw my bag in the car so it's ready for the morning and we can head out. I'll meet you in the car." Chuck said before heading to his room to retrieve his bag. **

**Sarah waited in the driver's seat of her car while Chuck tossed his bag into the trunk. She didn't see the two blankets or the small cooler Chuck also placed in the trunk.**

**Chuck hopped into the passenger seat and they were off. **

**Casey closed the last of the files and tossed it down on the table. "Looks like Walker's got her work cut out for her." he sighed as he learned back in his chair and stretched his arms. Casey glanced at his watch, It was nearly 9:30. He decided he was going to call it a night, he knew tomorrow was going to be just as long of a day as today had been if not longer.**

"**Do you want the last bite?" Chuck held out his heaping spoonful of ice cream mere inches from Sarah's mouth.**

"**God no, I couldn't possibly eat another bite. That had to be the biggest banana split I've ever seen. I'm just glad we shared because there is no way I could have eaten one of those on my own."**

**Chuck laughed before devouring the last spoonful of ice cream.**

"**What time is it Chuck?"**

**Chuck glanced down at his watch. "It's just after 9:30." **

**Sarah couldn't help but be a little disappointed. The time sure seemed to be flying by tonight. "You probably want to get home and get some sleep, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow." the disappointment clear in her voice.**

"**Not at all." Chuck replied taking Sarah's hands into his. "In fact I thought maybe we could head down to the beach. It's a beautiful night for a moonlit stroll, that is if you want to."**

**Sarah smiled and wondered how it was she was able to keep her distance from the man before her for so long. "Absolutely" She replied with a smile. Chuck smiled back, releasing her hand from his, he went to retrieve his wallet from his back pocket. Chuck tossed a few bills on the table as he stood up. Chuck extended his hand to Sarah which she gladly accepted and the two were off once again.**

**Sarah and Chuck strolled the beach hand in hand. They had both decided to remove their shoes early on. Sarah loved the feel of the sand between her toes. "What a beautiful night. Have you ever seen so many stars in the sky?" They had come to a stop so Sarah could take in the view.**

**Chuck couldn't help but stare. The moonlight cast a glow upon her face like nothing he had ever seen before and he was mesmerized by her beauty.**

**Sarah turned her attention to Chuck when he failed to respond to her question, only to catch him staring at her.**

"**What? Do I have ice cream on my face or something?" Sarah wiped at her face and Chuck laughed.**

"**No, not at all…I just…I've never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life. Sarah….you take my breath away." Chuck moved in to brush a few strands of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered longer than necessary and slowly made it's way down her cheek. She lost herself in the depths of his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She suddenly found it very hard to breathe at that moment. **

**Sarah and Chuck found themselves being pulled closer and closer together until they were mere inches apart. Chuck's gaze fell to Sarah's lips, they looked so inviting and if he closed his eyes he could almost taste their sweetness. **

**Sarah's eyes drifted to Chuck's lips, she wanted nothing more at that moment then to feel them pressed tightly against hers, moving in sync with the pounding of their hearts and their labored breaths, igniting a fire neither of them could put out.**

**Sarah placed her hand at the nape of Chuck's neck and brought him in closer to her. His hands simultaneously moved to her waist and together they closed the gap between them. Their lips met briefly before devouring one another. Chuck's hands moved frantically up Sarah's back pulling her closer to him if that was even possible. Sarah ran her fingers through Chuck's curly locks urgently as their tongues danced with one another in a desperate plea not to let go. **

**After several minutes of passionate kisses and desire filled embraces, the couple's need for air eventually outweighed their need for one another and their lips parted slowly as they tried to catch their breath. **

**Chuck held her close to him, his heart was beating so hard he thought that it might actually explode. Sarah held on to him tightly, afraid to let go, afraid if she did, she may never experience the warmth of his embrace again. **

**A few minutes later the two were finally able to catch their breath. Chuck pressed his lips softly against her forehead. She looked up at him and a single tear made it's way down her cheek. Chuck gently brushed it away with his thumb.**

"**How am I going to say goodbye to you?" he asked before resting his forehead against hers. Sarah did the only thing she could. She pulled him into a tight embrace and held on for dear life.**

**After what seemed like an endless day Casey finally made it back to his apartment. He noticed that the lights were off at Chuck's apartment. Casey checked the time on his watch. 11:13. "Hmm, I hope Bartowski's out sowing some wild oats and didn't get any ideas about running again." Casey said aloud as he made his way inside his apartment.**

**Sarah sat staring out into the water, listening to the serene sound of the waves crashing against the shore. She hugged her knees to her chest while she waited for Chuck to return from the car. Her mind drifted to the kiss they had just shared. It made her breathless just thinking about it and sent shivers down her spine.**

"**Here we go." Chuck said as he approached from behind. Sarah stood up and turned around to seem him laying out one of the two blankets he just retrieved from the car. He motioned for Sarah to have a seat on it. Chuck then proceeded to open his small cooler. Sarah looked surprised when he pulled out a chilled bottle of Champaign and two glasses.**

"**Chuck. What is all this?"**

**Chuck went about pouring two glasses of Champaign and handed one to Sarah. "This, Sarah Walker is a celebration."**

"**A celebration?" She looked confused.**

"**That's right, a celebration. We have a lot to celebrate Sarah. After I get on that plane tomorrow, there is nothing stopping us from being together." **

**Sarah put down her glass. "Yeah… nothing but distance."**

"**Sarah, I'm coming back, nothing could keep me from you….Nothing…come on, no more sadness tonight, I can't bear it."**

**Sarah looked up at him and a faint smile formed on her face. "You're right Chuck, we do have a lot to celebrate."**

"**That's more like it." Chuck held up his glass to hers. "To us and to a wonderful future…together." She clinked her glass against his and the two sipped at their drinks.**

"**Oh I almost forgot." Chuck pulled out his IPOD, pressed a few buttons and laid it on top of the cooler. Soft music began to play. Chuck got up on his feet and extended his hand to Sarah. "How about it Miss Walker?…Want to dance?"**

**Sarah smiled up at him and extended her hand to him. He pulled her to her feet. "You know I do." She said before he took her in his arms. **

**The two began to sway slowly to the music that filled the air. Sarah rested her head on Chuck's shoulder and he lovingly caressed her back as they moved in time to the music. They were both silent as they took in the moment, savoring every minute of their last night together.**

"**Sarah…Before I leave…there's something I want to say to you." Chuck parted slightly from Sarah so that he could look at her.**

"**Chuck what is it?" She couldn't help but miss his arms around her as he pulled away.**

"**I'm sure it's not anything that is going to come as a surprise to you, I've always been pretty open with you about my feelings. I just…I know you're not really good with this whole expressing yourself and talking about your feelings…I just don't want you to feel like you.." Chuck rambled on, Sarah knew this was his nervous chatter.**

"**Chuck, just say it." She placed her finger over his lips to silence him.**

"**Sarah. Before I leave, I just wanted to tell you….I need to tell you…I love you…I have never loved anyone the way I love you. You mean everything to me, and I didn't want to leave you tomorrow without you knowing that." Chuck's eyes fell to the ground, he was actually scared to look at her, he wasn't sure how she would react to him actually saying the words.**

**Sarah pulled away from him and turned, her back now facing him.**

"**Sarah?….Please say something." He pleaded with her taking a step closer to her. She could feel his breath on her neck.**

"**Chuck…It's just…that's the first time a guy has ever said that to me where I actually believed it…" **

**Chuck placed a hand on her shoulder prompting her to turn around and face him. Finally she did. "You should believe it Sarah, because it's the truth."**

"**I know. And you're right Chuck, I'm not good at expressing my feelings. I never have been…Believe it or not, I've never actually said those words to anyone before, at least not in the context you're saying them to me…I thought I was in love once before but…I don't know anymore… Chuck…When I'm with you….I feel things I've never felt before…No one has ever made me feel this way in my whole life…Until I figure out what all these things I'm feeling are…I…"**

**Chuck reached out for her hands. "Hey it's okay Sarah, I understand. You don't have to say it right now. I know you care about me and that's enough for now."**

"**Chuck…I just want you to know that….Just because I don't say it, it doesn't mean I am not feeling things for you, because I am." **

"**I know Sarah. I know." He pulled her in his arms once again and she fell effortlessly into his embrace.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**As the sun began to rise over the horizon, the brisk, bitter air sent a chill through his body causing him to stir. Chuck's eyes fluttered open. He was greeted with the sight of 2 seagulls soaring above, no doubt in search of some breakfast. His attention then turned to the arm draped casually across his chest, the fingers tucked inside his button up shirt that was now only buttoned half way. He glanced over at the warm body snuggled up against him. The sun cast a glow upon her face much like that that he had witnessed the night prior with the moonlight and a smile crept across his face.. Sarah stirred in his embrace and snuggled up closer to him and he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to wake up with her in his arms every morning. Moments later Sarah too began to stir and eventually her eyes fluttered open as well.**

"**Good morning." Chuck said with a smile.**

**She looked up at him. "Hi." was her response as she pulled herself to a sitting position. Chuck did the same. Sarah crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt to warm herself up. "What time is it?" She asked, not really wanting to know the answer.**

**Chuck glanced down at his wrist. "Almost 7." he replied. "You're shivering." He said as he grabbed the blanket laying in the sand next to them. "Come here." **

**Sarah moved closer to him and he pulled her into his lap and wrapped the blanket around them. Sarah immediately felt warm in his embrace. "Better?" he asked as he leaned down to her, his lips grazed the side of her head.**

"**Much." she said settling into him.**

"**How'd you sleep last night?" He leaned down once again and trailed a few kisses down her neck.**

**Sarah closed her eyes to fully enjoy the sensation of his lips as they made contact with her skin. "Mmmm….I slept well." She replied. "You?" she asked turning her head to look at him.**

"**Like a baby." He replied.**

**The two sat in silence for a while, just enjoying being in each other's arms as they looked out at the ocean, watching the sunrise, neither of them wanting to acknowledge what the day would bring.**

"**Do you remember the last time we sat in this very spot watching the sunrise?" he asked finally breaking the silence.**

**Sarah turned in his arms to face him, a look of confusion on her face followed by one of recognition as it finally dawned on her as her mind drifted back to that morning two years ago. It was the morning after their first "date." Chuck had just found out that a super computer known as the intersect, which contained all the governments secrets had been uploaded into his brain thanks to his one time best friend and old college roommate, Bryce Larkin. **

"**I remember." she replied as she settled back into his arms.**

"**Do you remember what you asked me to do that morning?" Chuck grazed her temple with his lips. He inhaled deeply taking in her scent.**

"**Of course…I asked you to trust me." she replied.**

"**And I do Sarah. I trust you .…You are the only person I trust completely…Sarah…it's my turn now to ask you to do something for me?"**

"**Hmmm?" she replied.**

"**Wait for me?" His request caught her off guard. How could he think she wouldn't wait for him? Sarah pulled away from his warm embrace and turned to face him once again.**

"**Chuck." she started but didn't get out much of anything else before he interrupted her as usual.**

"**Sarah I know it's a lot to ask, It's just I don't know how long I'll be gone and I'm sure guys ask you out all the time, I mean look at you, I just…now that we finally have the go ahead to pursue this, I just…I'd hate for anything to come between us before we get that chance. I wish I didn't have to leave, but if my leaving for a while means we can be together…" Chuck rambled on. Sarah smiled and did the only thing she could think of to shut him up. She leaned in pressed her lips against his, catching him off guard. It wasn't long before he was kissing her back and the two were engaged in a tender, passionate lip lock. A moment later the two parted lips, breathless as they gazed into one another's eyes.**

"**Chuck." his name escaped her lips.**

"**Yeah?" was all he could say his eyes fell to her lips, hungry to taste their sweetness once again.**

"**I've waited two years for you, I think I can wait a little bit longer." She smiled up at him. The two moved in closer once again closing the distance between them.**

**Chuck's hands slid up Sarah's back as his lips met hers. Sarah's arms clasped tightly around Chuck's neck as she deepened the kiss. Chuck moved one hand up to rest behind Sarah's head as he leaned into her, guiding her body down to the sand beneath them until he came to rest on top of her. Sarah's hands slid down Chuck's broad shoulders, sensually caressing him, reveling in the sensations he was invoking by laying on top of her. As they broke from the kiss, their eyes met. Chuck's hand made it's way to Sarah's face, gently caressing her cheek as they gazed lovingly into one another's eyes. His hand gently made it's way down to her chin. Sarah ran her fingers through his hair, pushing back a few stray curls so she could get a better look at him. Her bright blue eyes looked up at him and he was mesmerized once again by her beauty. **

"**You're so beautiful." his hot breath tickled her neck causing her to tremble in his embrace. **

**Sarah gently stroked his cheek with one hand. "I don't want you to go." was all she could say.**

**Colonel John Casey was just about to make the last snip on his newly trimmed bonsai tree when General Beckman popped up on his TV screen. **

"**Colonel Casey." She startled him, causing his hand to slip and cut off a large section of his Bonsai. Casey grunted as he threw down his bonsai clippers and turned his attention to the screen in front of him.**

"**General?" he greeted her.**

"**Colonel Casey, I take it you and Agent Walker have made the arrangements for Bartowski's transfer today."**

"**Yes General, Agent Walker and I will have Chuck at the airport within the hour. Security detail is in place and will be assisting with the transfer." **

"**Very well then. I will check in with you and Agent Walker tonight after she has had a chance to meet with her new recruits and assign them their posts. Casey I want everything with this transfer to go smoothly."**

"**Yes General, there is no reason to believe it would go any other way." Casey replied.**

"**Don't disappoint me Casey." and without giving Casey a chance to respond the screen went blank.**

**Casey turned his attention back to his bonsai tree sitting on the table. A disappointed look on his face he picked it up along with the large snipped off branch and tossed them both in the garbage can before heading out his front door. **

**After grabbing a bite to eat Chuck and Sarah arrived promptly at the airport and made their way through security where they met up with Casey and their security detail, which consisted of three federal agents who would be escorting Chuck on the private plane that Beckman had sent for him. They would ensure Chuck's safe arrival to D.C where he would be taken directly to a secure, top notch, secret training facility where General Beckman would be awaiting his arrival.**

"**Nice of you two to finally make it. I'm glad to see you took the extra time this morning to shower and change your clothes." Casey commented as Chuck and Sarah approached.**

"**Hahaha….Funny Casey. Glad to see you are your usual cheery self this morning." Chuck commented as the two came to stand directly in front of Casey.**

"**Yeah well we can't all be rays of sunshine like you Bartowski. These agents will be escorting you to D.C. Once you land you will immediately be taken to a secure facility where you will await further instruction. General Beckman will be meeting up with you. Plane leaves in 10 minutes."**

"**Great." Chuck sighed as he walked over to the nearby seats, tossed his duffel bag down on the floor and collapsed into the seat.**

"**Casey, why do you have to taunt him like that? He's about to leave his family, friends, everything that matters to him behind for God knows how long and you…you just…ugh!!… I don't even know what to say to you." Sarah shot him daggers before heading over to Chuck and taking the seat next to him. **

**Casey turned his attention back to the fellow agents that would be escorting Chuck and continued to go over details for the transfer with them.**

**Chuck appeared to be deep in thought as he stared off into space.**

"**What are you thinking?" Sarah asked, nudging his arm with hers, causing Chuck to snap back to reality.**

"**Huh?…Oh… I was just thinking, I wonder if they'll let me use my phone at all."**

"**Probably not Chuck…When a spy is in training they are cut off completely from the outside world…It's…it's actually quite a lonely time…Chuck…it's going to be hard…Training is intense…the things they put you through, it can really change a person you know."**

**Chuck smiled at her. "It wont change me Sarah, I wont let it."**

"**It's not that easy Chuck…You may not have a choice in the matter."**

"**Sarah?… Can I trust Beckman?…I'm not walking into a trap am I?"**

**Sarah swallowed hard. "I don't know Chuck….I just don't know anymore."**

"**I need to leave a message for Ellie before I board the plan." Chuck said as he pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and hit his speed dial to Ellie's cell. It rang three times before going to her voicemail. **

"**Hey sis, it's just me, I didn't really want to bother you on your honeymoon and all, but I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be going out of town for a while. I got this great job opportunity and I will be away on business for a while. I'm not really sure how long I will be gone, could be weeks, maybe months. I'll fill you in when I get back though. Hope you and Awesome are having a great time, Love you and I'll see you when I get back to town." Chuck hung up his phone and stared blankly at the screen briefly before tucking it back into his pocket.**

"**You okay?" Sarah asked.**

"**I just hate lying to her." he replied before turning his attention back to the blonde sitting next to him.**

"**I know, but technically you didn't really lie to her, you are going away on so called 'business'."**

"**Sarah?"**

"**Yeah?"**

"**Take care of them for me?"**

"**Of course. You don't have to worry about them." She gave him a reassuring smile.**

"**I know. I'm just…I'm really going to miss them."**

**Sarah looked around to make sure no one was watching them. When she was sure that there were no eyes on them, she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. Chuck turned to look at her and their eyes locked and they shared an intense look with one another. No words were needed, their eyes said it all.**

"**I wish I could kiss you right now." he leaned in and whispered in her ear. **

"**Chuck, you know we can't" she managed to get out. "At least not until you come back. As far as Casey and the other agents are concerned, I'm still your handler….That's why we said our goodbyes this morning before we got here, remember?" Sarah moved back creating some distance between them.**

"**I know." he replied with a sigh.**

"**Chuck…are you disappointed?…You know, that we didn't…I just… I didn't want our first time together to be us saying goodbye."**

"**Hey… I could never be disappointed with you." it was now his turn to give her the reassuring smile. "Sarah, as bittersweet as it was, last night, being with you…waking up with you in my arms…it was the best night of my life…I wouldn't trade it for anything…and I wouldn't change a thing." He gave her arm a nudge. "We're going to have our night and it will be incredible."**

**Sarah was about to respond when Casey yelled over to them. "Carmichael." Casey was careful to use Chuck's alias in front of the other agents. "Time to go." Sarah's breath caught in her throat and Chuck swallowed hard. This was it. He was leaving and he had no idea when he would be coming back. Chuck stood up, grabbing his duffel bag he slung it over his shoulder. Sarah stood up as well and they made their way over to Casey and the other agents. **

"**The plane is ready to board." Casey said as Chuck and Sarah approached.**

"**Great…So I guess when I get back." Chuck said as he slowly inched away from Sarah and Casey. **

"**Chuck." Casey stopped him and extended his hand to him catching Chuck off guard. Chuck accepted it and shared a firm handshake with the man in front of him. "Good luck, and in case I didn't say it before….Thanks for saving my life the other night." Casey lowered his voice so the other agents couldn't hear. "and in regards to the intersect, you did the right thing Chuck." **

**Chuck was surprised by Casey's words.**

"**Good luck." Casey said before breaking the handshake and taking a small step back.**

**Sarah had stood motionless trying to figure out what she was supposed to do, what she was supposed to say to him.**

"**Goodbye Sarah." Chuck said, turning his attention to her.**

**Sarah smiled as she leaned in and gave him a hug, like any friend would do.**

"**Good luck, come back soon." was all she could manage to get out.**

**Chuck's lips lingered near her ear just long enough for him to whisper the words. "I love you Sarah Walker." before breaking the hug. Chuck took one last look at his team, one last look at the women he loved before turning away. Escorted by Beckman's three agents, Chuck made his way to the plane.**

**Sarah stood motionless for a while, She wanted to cry, she wanted to yell to him "Don't go," but she couldn't, not with Casey by her side. Deep down she knew Chuck had to do this. He had to learn to control this computer inside his head. He needed to be prepared for what they would be facing and this was the only way.**

**Sarah moved towards the windows, looking out on the runway, she watched as Chuck's plane took flight. Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt an incredible pain.**

**Casey approached her from behind. "You okay Walker?" he asked, almost sympathetically. **

"**I'm fine." She replied coldly.**

"**You headed over to castle to look through those files? Your recruits are scheduled to arrive at 1400." Casey reminded her.**

"**Yeah. I'm just going to head home to shower and change first. I'll be there within the hour."**

**Casey couldn't help but notice Sarah's tone. It was cold and dry, lacking emotion. He knew she had feelings for Chuck and that this had to be incredibly hard for her. He watched her as she continued to stare out the window, watching as Chuck's plane disappeared from sight.**

"**Walker?" Casey called out to her once again.**

"**Huh?" He startled her, causing her to snap out of the trance she seemed to be in.**

"**You sure you're okay Walker?" He asked once again.**

"**I'm fine Casey, it's just…It's hard to say goodbye is all." and with that Sarah turned and walked away. **

**Casey let out a grunt. It was his knowing grunt. He knew Sarah was far from okay and that she would do her best to mask her true feelings, that was what she always did. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. After all, he had first hand experience when it came to losing the one you love. His mind momentarily drifted to thoughts of Ilsa and he could feel the pain seep through his chest, The same pain he was sure both Sarah and Chuck were feeling at that very moment. Casey sighed, forcing the thoughts from his mind as he left the airport and headed for castle to await agent Walker's arrival and word from General Beckman.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay I finally got around to finishing a new chapter. I hope you enjoy it. After this chapter the story should be picking up the pace a little bit so just bear with me here. Also thanks everyone for all your comments I look forward to your feedback. Enjoy!**

_Disclaimer: I own Nothing!_

Chapter 6

Colonel John Casey's eyes averted the computer screen when he heard the access panel being activated. He watched intently as she entered the room, freshly showered, clean clothes, her hair pulled back, she was all business.

"Are these mine?" she asked pointing to a big stack of files sitting on the table.

Casey nodded and watched as Sarah sat and went to work reading through them. Casey turned his attention back to his own work. It was nearly two hours that had passed when Sarah finally closed the last of the files. Noticing this, Casey got up from his chair and approached her.

"What do you think?" he asked as Sarah jotted a few notes down in her notebook.

"Some of them don't have as much experience as I would like." she replied looking up at him.

"Yeah, a little wet behind the ears if you ask me." he replied taking a seat next to her.

"This guy…Stevens…" she pulled his file from the pile. "He seems promising, he's got a lot of experience in the field. He shut down a drug cartel in Cambodia and pulled off a diamond heist in Belize. He's got rave reviews from his superiors."

"Yeah I read that. I also read that he likes to go off the radar, likes to make his own rules. Tends to have some kind of vendetta when it comes to authority figures." Casey piped in.

"Yeah." she sighed tossing the file down on the table, she looked at her watch. They would be arriving in less than 2 hours and she still had a lot of work to do.

"Any word from Beckman yet?" she asked getting up from the table.

"Nothing yet, she said she would check in with us tonight." he replied.

Sarah grabbed her files and headed to one of the computers in the back. "Let me know if you hear anything." she said as she moved to the back of the room.

"Sure." Casey went back to his computer and the two continued to work in silence.

* * *

The plane ride seemed endless. Chuck sat in silence for most of it. Occasionally he would share a few words with the three agents escorting him, nothing significant. They were there to do a job and he had no desire to make small talk with them especially when his mind kept drifting back to one person. He missed her already and he wondered if she was missing him.

Memories of her plagued his mind and the pain seeped into his chest. His breath caught in his throat and he thought he was going to suffocate.

"You okay Carmichael?" one of the agents asked, a look of concern on his face.

The mention of his name and the break of the silence seemed to jolt him back to reality. Chuck jumped almost startled. "What?" He asked coming out of his trance.

"You okay?" the agent repeated.

"Huh?…Oh…yeah…yeah I'm fine." He replied. Chuck took a deep calming breath and settled back into his seat. "I'm fine." he repeated almost as if he was trying to convince himself.

The plane landed and Chuck was escorted to a car that was waiting for him along with the three agents. They drove for about half an hour before they came to an old abandoned gas station that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Here we are." the driver announced shutting off the engine. The agents began to exit the car. Chuck stared out the window very confused.

Umm…guys…are you sure we got the right place?" Chuck asked unbuckling his seat belt. One of the agents met him at his door and opened it waiting for him to emerge.

"It's the right place alright. Let's go Carmichael, they're waiting for you."

Chuck was escorted inside the small abandoned building. He followed the agents to the back of the building. They approached an old storage closet, opening the door, chuck watched as one of the agents, removed a small panel piece on the wall, exposing a secret access panel. Chuck watched at the agent typed in a special code, then proceeded to place his hand on the screen while it scanned his fingerprints. After the man scanned his hand he then went on to punch another code into the panel and stood by while a retina scan was performed. Finally a group of floorboards slid open revealing a hidden entranceway. Two of the agents proceeded down a ladder, the third gestured for Chuck to go down. Chuck followed suit and the third agent followed him.

Chuck concluded that it was a good 20 feet he descended on the ladder before they hit the ground. The majority of the way down was pitch black. It wasn't until he was nearly at the bottom of the ladder that he began to see some light shining. Once securely on the ground. Chuck could make out another door and another access panel on the wall beside it. The same agent who typed in the codes on the previous access panel went to work typing in yet another series of codes on this one. Moments later the door was opening and the four agents were entering a large room that put castle to shame. Chuck and the other agents proceeded forward. Chuck admired all the high tech computers, fancy equipment that filled the room and monitors that lined the walls. He couldn't help but think it was like something out of a movie.

"Have a seat Carmichael." one of the agents said as he and the other two agents all took a seat around a large conference table that sat in the middle of the room. Chuck copied them and took a seat.

"Now what?" he asked as everyone sat in silence.

"We wait." replied one of the agents.

"She's on her way down now." said another agent as he hung up his phone and tucked it inside his jacket pocket.

"Who's on their way down?" Chuck asked.

"The General." He barely got out of his mouth when the door opened. General Beckman and two other agents entered the room. Everyone stood up to greet her, Chuck imitated his fellow agents' actions.

"Gentlemen, you may be excused." Beckman dismissed the three agents. They exited the room, leaving only Chuck, Beckman and the two agents she entered with.

Once the men left the room, she turned her attention back to Chuck.

"Have a seat Agent Carmichael."

Chuck sat back down in his chair.

"Chuck, the agent to my right is Agent Jack Hansen and the gentleman to my left is Agent Dan McKinley. Agent Hansen and Agent McKinley are going to play a significant role in your training. You are about to commence a rigorous training program, that few have actually completed."

Chuck swallowed hard. What the hell did he get himself in to?

"Not only will you undergo extreme physical training, but you will also learn to withstand torture, not just physical, but chemical, mental, you name it. We will be testing your new abilities, put you through all kinds of scenarios and situations. You will also partake in your typical classes that all spies are required to take. You will be spending several hours a day in the gym, followed by hours in the classrooms, not to mention sessions with our physician on site to monitor you. Do you have any questions Chuck?"

"No." he replied. "No questions General."

"Very well then. We've wasted enough time. Agent Hansen, Agent McKinley, please escort, Agent Carmichael to the holding room, search him and his bags, show him to his bunker and then take him down to gym, warm him up. I want to see him sparring within the next hour."

"Yes General." Replied agent Hansen.

"This way Carmichael." Agent McKinley said gesturing towards the door that General Beckman had entered through.

"Agent Carmichael?" The General spoke up before the agents led Chuck away.

"Huh?" he replied. Wondering what more the General could possibly throw at him.

"Good Luck."

A look of fear came over Chuck. He managed to take a deep breath and reluctantly followed Agent Hansen through the doorway. Agent McKinley followed behind.

* * *

The unexpected sound of Casey's cell phone ringing caused both him and Sarah to stir their attention away from their work. Casey grunted his 'why are you bothering me, while I'm trying to work grunt?' and proceeded to answer his phone while Sarah looked on.

"Casey." he spoke into his end of the phone. " uh huh…..okay…..Roger that." he said before hanging up. Casey then turned his attention to Sarah. "That was them, they are on route now, ETA is 10 minutes."

"Great." Sarah replied, the sarcasm apparent in her response.

She quickly began gathering her files from the table. She went about stacking them one on top of the other until she had one tall stack. In a hurry she grabbed the pile from the table. Unfortunately for Sarah, she was in such a hurry that she didn't have her hands around the entire stack and the bottom two files fell to the floor. Sarah sighed heavily. She placed the stack of files back on the table and knelt down to pick up the two that had spilled onto the floor. Just as Sarah reached for the last of the papers, something caught her eye under the table.

"What the….?" She said as she reached for the small object.

"What is it Walker?" Casey said as he approached her from behind.

"Dammitt!" She exclaimed taking the object in her hand and bringing it to her eyes so she could examine it more closely. Casey knelt down beside her to get a closer look himself. "Casey, we've been bugged." she said holding up the small device to show him.

Casey immediately pulled out his phone and frantically dialed numbers.

"Change of plans." He said into the phone. "We've been compromised, do not bring the new recruits in…..That's right….no we need you to stand down and await further instruction…..I'll be in touch." Casey hung up the phone and returned it to his back pocket.

"Casey, sweep the castle." Sarah pulled out her own phone and immediately went to work dialing the General.

Nearly half an hour later, Casey had finished sweeping the castle, finding only one other bug in the main corridor. Sarah still was trying desperately to get a hold of General Beckman. She finally was able to get someone on the line but wasn't having any luck being put through to the General.

"Of course I understand she is a very busy woman, but this is a matter of national security, I need to speak with her now!" Sarah projected into the phone, only to be answered with a click and a dial tone. "This is ridiculous!" She said tossing the phone down on the table.

"No luck with the General?" Casey asked, tossing the two deactivated bugs down on the table.

"No." she snapped back. "You would think she might have us on some kind of a priority list or something, with the intersect project and all.

"Well?….What now Walker?….Surely you have some kind of back up plan here?" Casey asked with his usual hint of sarcasm.

"Back up plan? The plan is we find out who planted these bugs and we take them out. God knows what they could have heard. For all we know they know all about the intersect and if that's the case, Chuck is in danger!"

Sarah was getting upset. The idea of Chuck being in danger unnerved her, but the idea of Chuck being in danger thousands of miles away where she couldn't protect him was sending her over the edge.

"Alright, well the bugs couldn't have been here very long, because I just swept the castle 2 days ago, the night Chuck took out the ring agents."

"See if you can lift any finger prints from the bugs. I'm going to keep trying Beckman.?" Sarah grabbed her phone and headed to the control room.

* * *

Beckman watched from the sidelines as Chuck's body hit the mat once again. The sweat dripped from his body and he looked as though he had just hit a brick wall.

"Come on Carmichael get up." said agent McKinley. He grabbed two sparing sticks off the nearby wall. Chuck managed to stand on his feet, he was bruised and badly beaten.

"You need to concentrate Carmichael. You're not going to last a minute out in the field. Here take this." McKinley tossed him a sparring stick, nearly knocking Chuck back down in the process. Beckman groaned and shook her head in disgust as she watched the pitiful sight before her.

Chuck managed to regain his balance and took a few deep breaths. Taking the sparring stick in his hand Chuck stood upright examining the weapon in his hand. Chuck's eyes rolled back in his head as a series of images flashed quickly through his mind. Just as Agent McKinley was about to advance on Chuck with his weapon in hand, Chuck went into combat mode. Using the tool he had been given he effortlessly blocked every one of McKinley's advances. Chuck maneuvered his weapon like a pro as he moved in on McKinley. Before he knew what had happened, McKinley found himself down on the mat, Chuck standing over him in attack mode.

"What the hell was that?" asked agent Hansen as he approached General Beckman.

General Beckman smiled. "That agent Hansen, is Agent Charles Carmichael."

* * *

"So I was able to pull two sets of prints on these bugs." Casey said as he joined Sarah in the control room.

"Please don't tell me it was Haz?" Sarah pleaded.

"Okay, I won't tell you then." Casey replied.

"Dammit! How could this happen Casey? You searched him. We were careful."

"I don't know how it got past us. Haz was only one set of the fingerprints. The other set belonged to Agent Jeff Conway. Who happens to be one of the agents that accompanied the good Dr. We need to inform Beckman, any luck getting a hold of the General?" Casey asked.

"No, not yet. ..Casey….I'm worried about Chuck…God knows what Haz could have done to him during his exam. We need to get to him before someone else does." Sarah pleaded.

"Easy there Walker, don't let your lady feelings for agent imbecile get in the way of you doing your job here. Get your head on straight and think this through. The first thing we need is to get in contact with Beckman. Keep trying her."

* * *

"Well done Chuck." General Beckman said as she approached him from behind, handing him a towel. Chuck had just finished his fifth sparring session with Agent McKinley. He accepted the towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead before taking gulp of water from his water bottle. "If you continue like this, you'll make it through training in no time." She added.

Chuck didn't say anything, he was to tired to speak.

"General?" Agent Hansen approached.

"What is it Hansen?" she asked ,rather annoyed that he seemed to be interrupting her.

"General, I almost forgot, I have a message for you…. An Agent Sarah Walker has been trying desperately to get a hold of you, has left several messages that you contact her immediately."

Chuck piped up at the mention of Sarah's name. Why all the urgent messages? Was she is some kind of trouble?

"Very well then, please show agent Carmichael where he can shower and get cleaned up. Get him something to eat and afterwards show him to the classroom. He will begin instruction in one hour. After his class, get him back in the gym for some weight training and cardio." General Beckman instructed Agent Hansen before turning to walk away.

"General?" Chuck piped in before she could get too far.

"Yes Agent Carmichael? She once again looked rather annoyed.

"General…Agent Walker…if she's in trouble…if…something's wrong….you'll let me know?" he pleaded with his swollen black an blue eyes.

"If there is a problem concerning the project, I'll let you know. I suggest you get cleaned up now and eat something, you'll need your energy." and with that the General made her exit.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Well I finally finished chapter 7,I hope everyone enjoys it. I didn't get very much feedback with the last chapter, so I wasn't sure if maybe people were losing interest in the story. If that's the case perhaps I will discontinue the story. Let me know if there is still interest. Thanks.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

**Chapter 7**

Sarah stared at the computer screen before her. Her eyes glazed over. She glanced up at the clock on the wall to see that is was well after 4:00am. She had been at this all night long. She took one last look at the computer screen. _**'Search results: No matches found' **_it read. Releasing a heavy sigh, she closed down her laptop and stood up to stretch. Her eyes burned, her vision was blurred and she was utterly exhausted. She flipped off the light switch and hopped into her bed. She had a briefing with her recruits at 0900 and she was hoping to get at least a couple of hours of sleep in.

Sarah couldn't remember the last time she actually got more than an hour or two of sleep at one time. Actually that's not true, she knew exactly when it was. It was nearly three weeks ago. She woke up on the beach in the arms of one Chuck Bartowski. How she longed for those arms now. She would give anything to just catch a glimpse of the man or to just talk to him on the phone even if it was for a minute, just to know he was okay. She worried about him. General Beckman had assured her that Chuck was safe where he was, in fact she said it was probably the safest place for him after Sarah and Casey found the bugs planted at the castle.

For the past three weeks Sarah, Casey and the new recruits have been searching everywhere for Dr. Haz and his men, but despite every lead they got, they came up empty handed.

Casey was however, able to track down Agent Thompson, the second agent that had accompanied Dr. Haz on his visit to see Chuck at the castle three weeks ago. Casey brought him in for questioning and some minor torture, but he wasn't talking. Two of the new recruits were instructed to bring him to a top secret facility where he would undergo further questioning and if necessary, more torture until he talks. Sarah didn't have any doubts in her mind that he would talk eventually, everyone talked. The only question was when. Hopefully that time would come soon, before anyone had a chance to get to Chuck.

Sarah closed her eyes as thoughts of Chuck entered her head once again. She could see his face clear as day, that goofy grin of his smiling at her. How she missed him. How she needed him.

* * *

Chuck lay in his bunker staring up at the ceiling. He glanced at the clock resting on his night stand. Only half an hour until he commenced another day of intense training. At least he seemed to be becoming immune to the pain. The first week or so, he seemed to be in constant pain as he struggled through full days of intense workouts, sparring sessions, exams, and torture to just name a few. Chuck turned his attention back to his nightstand, the shiny object caught his eye and he reached for it, taking it into his hands. He ran his fingers over it's smooth surface all the while holding on to it for dear life. He thought back to the day he had given it to her. "It's good luck." he told her as he placed the charm bracelet around her slender wrist, caressing her smooth skin in the process. Chuck smiled when he thought back to his arrival at the training facility and how surprised he was when Beckman's men had found the piece of jewelry in his pocket during their search. No doubt a message from Sarah. It was her lucky charm and she wanted to share that luck with him. Much to his surprise, Beckman had allowed him to keep it along with the picture frame that also resided on his night stand. It was one of the only things he had in the small bunker, aside from a few clothing items and his clock. A large monitor hung from the wall, allowing for direct communication with the General and a security camera near the ceiling that recorded his every move.

Chuck brought the good luck charm to his lips and kissed it before dangling it off the top corner of the picture frame on his night stand, taking a moment to stare at Sarah's smiling face in the picture. It was even a real picture, not like the last picture he had of them. The one the CIA had printed up. There were genuine smiles on their faces. Sarah leaned into him, his arm draped around her pulling her in closer. They looked like a truly happy couple. A nice, normal, happy couple. Everything Chuck had always wanted was starting back at him in that photo. But it was more than a photo to him. It was a promise. A promise of a life waiting for him when he returned home. And for Chuck that day couldn't come soon enough.

Chuck glanced at his clock. It was nearly time for his wake-up call. Deciding he would beat them to the punch, Chuck sat up and flung his legs over the side of the bed, bringing his feet to rest securely in the floor. Chuck yawned as he stretched his arms high above his head and then behind his back. Just as he was about to stand up a sharp pain in his head caused him to fall back to the bed. He grabbed his head with both hands as he writhed in pain. He screamed out in agony as the pressure in his head continued to build. It was only seconds before Chuck was joined in his room by physicians and a whole crew of medical personnel who quickly went to work on him. Out of the corner of his eye, Chuck could make out one of the doctors pulling out a syringe. He felt a small jab in his arm. His vision blurred, he felt a small sense of relief from the pain and then...nothing.

* * *

"He's still not talking lieutenant. Perhaps we should just take him out, dispose of the body, he's no use to us and he's a waste of our time." Agent Steven's reported.

Sarah watched him intently on the monitor, she tried her best to look past him. She could see Agent Thompson tied securely to a chair. The man was beaten badly, blood poured from his lip, he was badly bruised and his breathing was labored.

"You'll do no such thing Stevens, I want answers from him, Keep him alive." she replied coldly.

"But lieutenant..."

"I said keep him alive and that is an order." on that note, Sarah ended the conference, switching the screen off. She had no desire to look at Agent Thompson in his current state. She knew far too well what it was like to be tortured like that and knowing that she had a hand in it was too much for her. What happened to the Sarah Walker who didn't feel things? The robot who could turn her emotions on and off as needed. Who was she kidding, she knew what happened to that girl. Chuck Bartowski happened.

"Any news?" Casey asked as he entered castle.

"What?…Oh….no..nothing yet." Sarah replied. "Thompson isn't talking."

"Perhaps he needs some more persuasion. I can pay him a visit if you want." Casey offered.

"Stevens is on it. We should be fine if he follows his orders. Thompson has to be close to cracking."

"What if he's not involved? It is a possibility you know."

"I know. I thought about that, but we can't risk it. If he knows something about Haz, or where we can find him…he's the only lead we have right now….we need him."

Casey grunted in agreement. Sarah was right. Three weeks of searching and Thompson was their only lead. Just as Casey was about to speak, the monitor came on and the two were greeted by General Beckman.

"Colonel Casey, Lieutenant Walker."

Sarah was still trying to get used to her new title. She found it awkward and empowering all at the same time.

"General. Do you have an update for us?" Sarah asked, turning her attention to the monitor.

" I should be asking you that Walker." Beckman replied.

"Well General, there have been no changes. Agent Stevens is still interrogating Agent Thompson. He has been unsuccessful thus far. Thompson isn't talking, but I am quite confident that it won't be much longer."

"I hope you're right Walker, It is imperative that we find Haz, the quicker the better." Beckman replied.

"General, is something wrong? Did something happen?" Sarah asked taking a step closer to the screen. She didn't like the way Beckman was acting and she had a feeling that there was something that she wasn't telling them.

"Is there a problem with the intersect?" Casey joined in in the questioning.

"General, is Chuck okay?" Sarah piped in again, when Beckman failed to answer right away.

"As of right now yes, he appears to be fine, but there has been some…developments, or should I say…complications."

"General, what do you mean complications?" Sarah was getting worried.

"Lieutenant, Agent Carmichael has been exhibiting certain….episodes." Beckman began.

"What do you mean episodes?" Casey piped in.

"What I mean is that Chuck is fine one minute and the next he's grabbing his head and falling to the floor in pain."

Sarah's mouth fell, she couldn't find any words. At that moment, all she could think about was Chuck in pain, and to make matters worse, he was alone.

"Well do you think that the intersect is corrupt or something, that's it's malfunctioning?" Casey asked, when Sarah failed to.

"No, I don't Colonel. I think that Dr. Haz did something to Chuck during his exam. What that is exactly I don't know. For the most part, Chuck has been doing well. He has only had a couple of these episodes, but every time he has one, it seems to intensify, lasting longer and appearing to be more painful than the last. Chuck has been examined by my team of medical personnel here on site and they have been unable to determine the cause of these episodes as of yet, but they are working around the clock to come up with some answers."

"General, how do we know this team of yours can be trusted?" Sarah asked, obviously quite upset by this point.

"Walker!" Casey responded.

"What? I think that it's a valid concern. Look at what happened with Haz. And need I remind you what happened the first time she sent a doctor to examine Chuck?"

"Lieutenant Walker, I understand your concerns." The General responded firmly. " I assure you my team here is nothing but the best. I trust them completely and so does Chuck."

Sarah took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. "I'm sorry General, I was out of line. I'm just frustrated and I honestly don't know who to trust anymore… General, can we talk to him?"

"I don't think that that's a good idea right now Lieutenant." Beckman replied.

"General, We have been searching for Haz for nearly three weeks now. Our only lead has been Agent Thompson and he's not talking. Perhaps if we were able to speak with the intersect, he could give us some insight, maybe flash on something that will lead us to Haz." Casey pleaded.

"Very well then. I will have him conferenced in in ten minutes, but keep it short. Chuck still has a lot of training to do, I don't like to interrupt his schedule, I want him to stay focused."

"Of course General." Casey barely got out before the screen went blank.

"Uuhhh…I can't believe this is happening." Sarah began pacing the floor.

"Relax Walker, you need to stay focused if we're going to help Chuck."

"I know…I just…I never should have let Chuck go through with Haz's exam."

"It wasn't your decision Sarah. Chuck's a big boy. If he wants to do something, he's going to do it, you should know that by now." Casey replied. "We'll fix this Walker, we always do."

"Yeah."

* * *

"Devon, can you grab that last bag from the car?" Ellie asked as she entered their apartment, lugging her large suitcase through the door.

"Sure thing babe." he replied, before running back out to the car, leaving her with a kiss on the cheek.

Ellie smiled and plopped her bags down on the floor. She was thrilled to finally be home despite the fact that she just had the most fabulous honeymoon, she was ready to get back to the real world. Ellie was just about to sit herself down on the coach when Devin entered with the last of their bags.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… What are you doing?" He asked, catching her off guard.

"What do you mean what am I doing? I'm going to sit down, I'm tired." She replied.

"Not so fast Mrs. Woodcomb, we have some unfinished business to take care of here." Devin beckoned for her with his finger to approach him as he waited in the doorway.

Ellie sighed and approached him slowly, not sure what he had planned now. "Okay, Mr. Woodcomb, what is this business we have to take care of?" She asked.

"This." he said as he scooped her up in his arms and proceeded to carry her over the threshold. Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in meeting his lips with her own. Moments later they parted lips. Both of them wearing grins from ear to ear.

"So just how tired are you Mrs. Woodcomb? " Devin asked with a suggestive look.

"Devin, just because we're home doesn't mean the honeymoon is over." Ellie replied playfully.

"Mmm my sentiments exactly." Devin casually kicked the door shut behind them and proceeded to carry his bride to the bedroom.

* * *

It was the longest ten minutes of Sarah Walker's life as she waited for Chuck to appear on the monitor. Her stomach felt as if it contained thousands of butterflies. She was actually nervous. The thought of seeing Chuck thrilled her and terrified her all at once. How would he look? Was he okay? Was he the same Chuck that left her three weeks ago?

Just when she thought she couldn't take another minute of the waiting, his face appeared before her.

"Chuck!" she exclaimed.

Casey left his computer and joined Sarah at the monitor.

"Sarah!…Casey." He replied. His gaze fixated on Sarah. Talk about a sight for sore eyes.

"Chuck are you okay?" Sarah asked moving in even closer to the monitor. How she longed to be close to him even if it was only on a television screen.

'Yeah….I'm fine." He replied, mesmerized by the vision of one Sarah Walker before him. Sarah couldn't help but notice how tired and run down Chuck looked. He had several visible bruises from what she could see and she was only seeing him from the shoulders up.

"Chuck what's going on?" Casey piped in, hoping to get some answers before the two love birds lost all focus. "Beckman said there has been some complications with the new intersect you uploaded. You're having some side effects?"

"I've been having some side effects, but I don't think it's from the intersect." Chuck replied, his focus remaining on the blonde standing before him.

"If it's not from the intersect, what do you think is causing it?" Sarah asked.

"I'm not sure." Chuck replied. "But I think that Dr. Haz did something to me."

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted him." Sarah shook her head, obviously upset. "This is all my fault."

"How is this your fault Sarah? You were the one that told me not to go through with Haz's testing. I should've listened to you. I've no one to blame but myself."

"Chuck have you had any flashes or anything regarding Haz or the Ring? We have not been very successful in tracking down him or his associates. The only person we have been able to bring in is an Agent Thompson and he's not talking." Before Casey could finish what he was saying, Chuck's eyes rolled back into his head at the mention of Agent Thompson's name. A series of images flashed before him as he flashed on the agent. Seconds later Chuck snapped out of his trance. "No." he said shaking his head. "Thompson's not involved with the ring. He's just a rookie agent, hoping to move up in the agency. He's not rogue."

"Damn it. He was all we had." Sarah appeared visibly upset.

"What about the men I took out the night of the wedding? Has the CIA or NSA been able to get anything out of them?" Chuck asked hopeful.

"Nah… they're not talking either. They've been moved to a lockdown facility. Looks like we're back at square one here." Casey grunted his annoyed and aggravated grunt.

"Chuck, have you flashed on anything else since the upload?" Sarah asked.

"Nothing major." Chuck replied. "Except…well…"

"Well what?" Casey questioned.

"Since I've been here, I keep having this flash. It's just an address. I don't know what it means."

"What's the address Chuck." Sarah grabbed a pen and her notebook off the table, ready to jot it down.

"9117 East Ventura Ave. It's a Los Angeles address." Sarah quickly wrote it down.

"Anything else Chuck?" She asked him.

"No. That's all I got. I wish I could be more help."

"Chuck you have been a big help, this is the most we've had to go on, in two weeks now. Could be nothing, but it could be something. Casey run a search on this, see what you can find." Sarah ripped the sheet of paper from her notebook and handed it to Casey.

"Sure." Casey turned his attention back to the monitor before leaving the room. "Thanks Bartowski….Err Carmichael I guess is what we're calling you now." And with that Casey left and Sarah and Chuck found themselves alone with one another.

After watching Casey leave, she turned her attention back to him. "You look tired." she noted.

"So do you." He replied.

"Yeah well, I haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"Me either." He responded with that goofy grin of his that always made Sarah smile, even now.

"How are you really?" She asked him.

"I told you, I'm good. Despite the fact that I'm exhausted all the time, sore as hell and miss you like crazy, I'm doing pretty good. How about you?"

"I'm fine Chuck, just a little sleep deprived these days. Did Beckman tell you she promoted me to lieutenant?"

"What? No she didn't….Lieutenant Walker huh? I like the sound of that." Sarah Smiled.

"So Agent Carmichael, did they give you any idea of when you may be finished with your training and heading home?"

"I have no idea Sarah, no one has said anything about it. I just hope its soon."

"Me too." she replied. "I miss you Chuck." tears began to well in her eyes, but she held them back tightly, refusing to let them fall in front of him.

"I miss you too Sarah…..I miss you too." How he longed to pull her into his arms right now. To hold her close, take in her scent, press his lips firmly against hers, gaze into those deep blue eyes and get lost in them.

Sarah's eyes continued to fill with tears despite her attempt to hold them back and she couldn't help but think this was getting old real quick. How could one person shed so many tears? She didn't want him to see her like this, she didn't want him to know.

"Sarah?…Are you…crying?" Chuck was a little surprised.

"No." Sarah turned to dab at her eyes.

"Are you sure? Cuz you kinda look like you are." he responded.

"Fine Chuck, I'm, crying! Are you happy now?"

"Sarah, why would I be happy that you're crying? I hate seeing you upset. I wish…I just wish I was there. I want to hold you so bad right now."

His words made Sarah smile, despite the fact that she was heartbroken.

"There's that smile." Chuck smiled back. "I don't have much time Sarah. Beckman set up this conference to last exactly 10 minutes. Once my time is up it will automatically disconnect."

"Chuck have you been able to get a read on anyone there? Do you think anyone you've come in contact with may be involved with Haz or the ring?"

"I don't know Sarah. I haven't flashed on anyone."

"Sarah, I think this is about to cut out, before it does, I just want to tell you, I love you, and I will do anything it takes for me to get home to you as soon as possible.

"Chuck, I wanted to tell you something. I should have said it before you left, I just…" The tears began to fall again.

"Sarah what it is?" Chuck pleaded. This was not like her. He had never seen her so emotional before and he really didn't know what to make of it.

"I wanted to tell you in person, I didn't want to say it like this."

"Sarah just say it."

"Chuck, I just…want you to know. Chuck, I Lo.."

Before she could get another workout the screen went blank and the connection was lost.

"Love you." she finished about 2 seconds too late. "Nice Sarah, someday he might know."

She closed her eyes as the tears continued to fall and collapsed in the nearby chair to compose herself.

She could just kick herself for not telling him when he was still there. Had she told him then, she wouldn't be in the boat she was in now. These people they were dealing with were dangerous, there was no telling what tomorrow would bring for them, if they would even have a tomorrow. If anything ever happened to him and she didn't have that chance to say those words to him. The words he so desperately wanted to hear. The words that were so difficult for her to say, she would never forgive herself.

_**Well there you have it, Chapter 7. Would love to hear what you thought. Please let me know you are still interested in me continuing the story. Thanks.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks everyone for your feedback. I'm glad you are enjoying the story I am enjoying writing it. I am going to try to update it more often. Chapter 8 is a nice long chapter, so hope you enjoy it. Your reviews inspire me to write more often, so please keep them coming._

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

**Chapter 8**

Ellie sat up in her bed. The aroma from the other room intrigued her. Whatever Devon was cooking up sure smelled good. Ellie turned her attention to the night stand by her bed when her alarm clock began to sound. She noticed her cell phone laying next to the alarm clock. She picked it up and turned it on, waiting patiently for it to power up.

"Good morning beautiful." Devon entered carrying a tray of food.

"What's all this?" Ellie asked setting her phone down and turning all her attention to her new husband.

"Well I figured you probably worked up quite the appetite last night, I know I did. So I thought I would make my wife some breakfast in bed." Devon climbed up on the bed next to her. He gently set the tray down next to them and leaned in to kiss his bride, who happily obliged.

Ellie's phone beeped causing the two to part ways. She picked it up and looked at the screen.

"23 messages?" Ellie laughed. "I can't believe I forgot to bring my cell phone with us."

"I can't either, but I'm kind of glad you did." Devon replied, giving Ellie a wink and tossing a grape in his mouth.

Ellie typed in her password and held the phone to her ear to listen to the first message.

"_**Hey sis, it's just me."**_

"It's Chuck." She said to Devon as she picked at the food on the tray.

"_**I didn't really want to bother you on your honeymoon and all, but I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be going out of town for a while. I got this great job opportunity and I will be away on business for a while."**_

"Oh my God!" Ellie exclaimed as she listened to Chuck's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Babe what is it?" Devon asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Shhhh!!" She motioned for him to stop talking as she tried to listen to the rest of Chuck's message.

" _**I'm not really sure how long I will be gone, could be weeks, maybe months. I'll fill you in when I get back though. Hope you and Awesome are having a great time, Love you and I'll see you when I get back to town." **_

Ellie put the phone down, a look of shock overtook her.

"Sweetheart what is it? Is everything okay?" Devon enquired once again.

"He's gone." She replied.

"What?"

"He left town. Something about a job."

Devon perked up at the mention of a job. "Really, what did he say? Is Sarah with him?"

"What?…I don't know. He didn't say anything about Sarah. Why?"

Devon wasn't sure how to respond. He knew Chuck's secret, but he couldn't share it with Ellie. "Uh..I don't know, she's his girlfriend….If I was going out of town for a while I would want the girl I love to go with me."

"I should call him." Ellie grabbed for her phone and was about to start dialing when Devon interrupted her.

"Why don't you listen to the rest of your messages first. Maybe he called again." Devon suggested.

"Right.' Ellie picked up her phone and proceeded to listen to the next 22 messages.

* * *

"Lieutenant are you sure?" Agent Steven's questioned Sarah's orders.

"You heard me Steven's. He doesn't know anything, he's not involved. There is a team en route now to retrieve Agent Thompson.

"How do you know he's not involved? Where did you get your intel from and whose to say it's accurate?" Agent Steven's challenged Sarah.

"I'm to say that's who. Who are you to question me Steven's? You're on _my _team remember. If you can't follow orders here, I'm sure we can find you another placement."

Stevens sighed heavily, obviously annoyed by Sarah's words. "That wont be necessary lieutenant." Steven's answered.

"Very well then Agent Stevens. Once Thompson has been picked up, head to your base and await further instructions with your team.

"Yes Lieutenant." Steven's responded coldly.

Sarah switched the monitor off and went back to her computer. It was only moments later when Casey re-entered castle. Casey went over to his computer and pounded away on the keyboard until he brought up what he was looking for.

"We got something Walker."

Sarah got up and joined Casey at his computer. "That address that Chuck kept flashing on, it's an old warehouse downtown." Casey motioned to the image on his computer screen as he zoomed on it and brought it into full view for Sarah. "Could be a secret base or something." Sarah didn't say anything, she moved across the room and grabbed a nearby gun.

"Walker, don't you want to call in one of your teams to check it out?" Casey questioned.

"Nope." Sarah replied, placing several bullets in her BA-12 Assault Rifle.

"Why not Walker?"

Sarah tossed the gun to Casey and went about putting on her bullet proof vest.

"Because we're going." She said as she pulled up her pant lag as far as it could go before securing a knife to her leg.

"Finally." Casey said. "Some action." he went about suiting up himself. He was ready for combat. In his mind it had been far too long.

* * *

Chuck sat at his desk lost in thought. His mind kept drifting back to moments earlier. It was the first he had seen of her in three weeks now and he couldn't get the image out of his head. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. His heart ached for her. He recalled the tears that made their way down her cheeks. How she tried to hide them from him and more importantly what she tried to tell him. Whatever it was seemed to be pretty important to her and he wondered if he would have the chance to speak to her again.

"Carmichael?" Agent Hansen called out. "Carmichael?" he repeated, but still no answer. "CARMICHAEL????" he raised his voice several octaves this time.

"Huh?" Chuck replied as he emerged from his trance.

"Carmichael, I asked you a question. You need to pay attention if you ever expect to complete your training."

"Hanson, do you ever come out of Agent mode or has the job permanently taken over your entire mindset?"

The question totally caught Hanson off guard. "What's that supposed to mean Carmichael?" he asked rather annoyed.

"Do you ever think about anything but the job? Are you married? Do you have a special someone in your life? Kids? Do you have a life outside of all this, or is this it?"

It took Hansen a moment to respond. He seemed to weigh Chuck's questions heavily before answering.

"Some things are more important that all that Carmichael." He finally replied.

Chuck laughed. "You sound like Casey." he replied. "With all due respect Agent Hansen,… nothing is more important than that."

* * *

"Cover me Walker!" Casey exclaimed just before kicking down the door of the old abandoned warehouse. The two entered, combat ready as Sarah's team secured the perimeter and readied themselves for attack.

After a thorough walk through and search, Sarah and Casey concluded that the place was now empty.

"Look at this." Casey said as he came across a huge set up of computer equipment and monitors along with several other devices that he wasn't quite sure what they were. Sarah recognized some of the equipment as being the same devices that Haz had used on Chuck during his examination.

Sarah's teams quickly emerged, Weapons ready.

"At ease." she said as they approached. They quickly put down their weapons and awaited further instruction.

Turning to face her team, Sarah ordered them to dust for prints and do a clean sweep of the building. A team of agents would remain posted there, should anyone return to the building.

"Now what Walker?" Casey asked turning his attention back to Sarah.

Sarah took a moment to take everything in. "I don't know Casey, something doesn't feel right here."

Sarah barely got the words out when Casey fell to the ground, a gunshot to his leg ripped through him. Casey groaned in pain.

"Take cover!" Sarah yelled to her team as gunshots began to fly.

"Sarah crouched to the ground and managed to help Casey move out of harms way before she opened fire herself on their attackers.

"Walker hand me my gun." Sarah tossed Casey his assault rifle and the two of them opened fire. Gunshots flew and three more of Sarah's agents fell to the ground. Sarah called in three more teams on her radio for backup. Gun fire ceased after about fifteen minutes. Casey struggled to get to his feet. "I called in medics. They'll be here in a few minutes." Sarah told him.

"Great, can't wait." Casey replied sarcastically.

Sarah and her team went about conducting a cleanup and recovery. Sarah lost two agents another was shot but appeared to be in stable condition. Sarah concluded that 8 ring agents were killed and another 2 were injured. Both appeared to be in critical condition.

The medics continued their work on Casey as she informed him of her findings. "I'm going to the medical base with the ring agents that are still alive. I want to question them personally." she told Casey. "Agent Molloy was hit in the crossfire, right now I want you to stay with her and just ensure that she is stable. Keep me updated." She didn't wait for Casey to reply as she rushed off to meet up with the injured Ring agents.

* * *

"Okay Carmichael, just before the fumes start seeping in, 'you're going to want to take a deep breath. You only get one good chance to take in as much air as you can and it needs to last as long as possible, so make it a good one." McKinley explained to him over the intercom as he watched Chuck through the glass panel that separated them. Chuck was about to undergo his first lesson in withstanding chemical warfare.

"Normally when you are under attack with chemicals, you don't know it's coming, so you have to be aware of the signs. You might suddenly come across a faint odor or come across a powder substance. Those are the easy ones. Sometimes there are no warnings, so you look for symptoms, like sudden headaches, nausea, dryness of the mouth or burning in the eyes. These can all be symptoms once you have been exposed. Should you be exposed, you're going to want to call in a hazmat team. If you have access to water you need to wash any trace of the substance off immediately before it starts absorbing into your bloodstream through your skin. It all happens very quickly."

Chuck remembered the time he and Sarah thought they had been exposed to a poisonous chemical. She frantically removed his shirt and had instructed him to get his pants off as she went to work removing her own clothes. Sarah tossed him into the ice cold shower and went to work scrubbing him down in an attempt to remove any trace of the chemicals. As dangerous of a situation that it could have been, Chuck could still remember the chills that shot through his entire body and they weren't caused by the cold water pounding down on them.

As soon as his hands touched her skin, any trace of the cold water had disappeared. He may as well have been on fire at that point as his hands moved over her soft, smooth skin. Had they actually been poisoned, he could have died a happy man at that moment.

"Carmichael, the gasses will be released in three phases. The first, you won't see coming, so you are going to have to utilize your senses and your training thus far to know when is the right time to act. The second phase will still not be visible to the human eye, so you're going to have to rely on your senses again and your reactions. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. For the third phase you will actually see the gasses, should you make it to that stage. Just so you know, no one has ever made it to the third phase in their first attempt, in fact I've never seen it done before the fourth try, so don't worry about completing the whole run through your first time at it. Carmichael we have our hazmat crew standing by and ready. Should you pass out…or, well, when you pass out, we will shut down the operation and once it's safe for them to move in, they will retrieve you and provide whatever care necessary. Are you ready agent Carmichael?" McKinley finally asked.

Chuck swallowed hard. Was he ready? What kind of stupid question was that? He was about to be attacked with poisonous chemicals. Is anyone ever ready for that?

"Lets do this." he finally replied, putting his trust in agent McKinley.

McKinley pressed the button on the wall, beginning phase one. He stood by and watched as Chuck paced the tiny room. Chuck finally stopped and took a seat on the floor in the middle of the room. He figured that the chemicals would be coming from one of the vents he noticed on the sides of the walls and if he was in the middle of the room it was probably the safest place he could have been.

Several minutes had passed, McKinley was quite impressed that Chuck was doing so well. He reached up and pressed the next button on the wall, starting phase two.

Chuck grabbed his head. He felt a headache starting but he wasn't sure if it was from the chemicals or the flash he felt coming on. Chuck's eyes rolled back in his head.

McKinley watched intently, he had never seen this type of reaction before. He readied the team that was standing by and prepared them to move in.

A series of images flashed in Chuck's head. Numbers and what he assumed were formulas and calculations.

Coming out of the flash, Chuck inhaled deeply. Outside McKinley's mouth dropped. The light on the wall flashed indicating to him that it was time to start phase three. McKinley reluctantly reached for the button and proceeded to press it.

Chuck noticed the fumes that were beginning to fill the room. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold his breath. He could feel his skin burning and felt extremely nauseous. His eyes watered but he continued to focus only on his breathing, That was the key to getting through this.

Moments later phase three was complete and the operation shut itself down. McKinley and the hazmat team waited for the chemicals to clear before entering the room. When they were allowed to enter, McKinley was shocked to see Chuck still in a sitting position in the middle of the room. His eyes remained closed as he seemed to be in deep concentration. Chuck was struggling to hold his breath.

"Carmichael?…..Carmichael?"

Chuck's eyes flew open. He was greeted by McKinley and the hazmat team, all wearing decontamination suits. "Breathe Carmichael." he ordered. Chuck took a deep breath, his breath was labored, he gasped for air as he struggled to get his breathing under control.

"Carmichael are you okay?" McKinley questioned, still in shock that Chuck was still conscious.

"Yeah, I think so.' Chuck managed to reply.

"Carmichael, the team here needs to hose you down, they're going to check you over and treat you. We have to make sure all traces of the chemical are out of your system."

McKinley helped Chuck to his feet and handed him over to crew standing by. He watched, still in shock as they hosed Chuck down and went to work on treating him. He had never seen anything like it before. Even the best trained agents out there had a difficult time with the chemical warfare training, and McKinley never heard of anyone completing it on the first try.

"Unbelievable." McKinley said to no one in particular. "Unbelievable."

* * *

When Sarah arrived at the medical base, she was informed that one of the ring agents died on the way to the hospital, the other one remained in critical condition.

"Doctor how is he?" Sarah asked the physician exiting the patient's room.

"He has a gunshot wound to the chest and one to the abdomen. I was told by the medics that he took a good 50 foot fall from some rafters, which has caused a great deal of internal injuries. He's being prepped for surgery, but I have my doubts that he will even make it that long."

"Is he conscious?" Sarah asked, the disappointment evident in he voice.

"He was when I left him."

"I need to question him."

"Be my guess lieutenant. Good luck." the doctor made his exit and Sarah proceeded into the patient's room. As she entered. Two nurses exited the room to give her some privacy.

Sarah approached the bed. The man laying in it watched as she came closer, a smile came over his face.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked disgusted.

"Sweetheart if you could see what I was looking at you'd be smiling to." he responded.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked. "What's your name?"

"Darlin', I'll be whoever you want me to be."

Sarah was frustrated. Obviously she wasn't going to get very far with him. Perhaps she would have to try a different approach.

Not amused, Sarah moved in closer to him. "Are you with the ring?" She asked. The man didn't answer. "Your team is dead. There is no one to protect you. No one's going to rescue you." She added. "Your best option here is to cooperate."

Still there was no answer.

Sarah moved in even closer and sat on the side of his bed. "Are you working with Haz?" Sarah couldn't help but notice the man squirm a little with her most recent question. He turned his head to advert her gaze. Sarah scooted closer to him on the bed. Reaching out she placed her hand on his chin, turning his face to meet hers. She leaned in over him "Please. I can make it worth your while." Sarah nearly choked on her words.

He eyed her up an down. His eyes came to rest on her chest as she leaned over him. "What did you have in mind?" he asked. He placed his hand on her thigh and began to rub it seductively. Sarah stifled the vomit that was making it's way up her throat. She had the sudden urge to throw him into a headlock, strangle him slowly and watch him gasp for air until he breathed his last agonizing breath. But she couldn't do that. She would play his game. Whatever it took to find Haz. She had to for Chuck's sake.

"Whatever it takes." She replied seductively. Her hand making it's way down his bare chest. He caught her hand with his and brought it up to his lips, placing a lingering kiss on it, pulling her closer in the process. He moved his lips down past her wrist and proceeded down her arm.

"Uh…not so fast." she stopped him, pulling her arm out of his grasp. And creating some distance between them. "First you answer my questions."

"Fine." he replied. "I'll play your game."

"Your name?"

"Adams." He replied. "Major Tom Adams."

"I see, Major Adams and are you with the ring?"

"Not so fast yourself sweetheart." he said. "I answered your question, what do I get?" he asked suggestively.

Sarah moved in closer to him. With one hand she reached up and loosened her top button, to give him a better view of her cleavage, just enough to tease him. He licked his lips, causing Sarah's stomach to turn. His hand found it's way back to Sarah's thigh and resumed rubbing it.

"Are you with the ring?" She asked again.

"Yes." he replied.

Sarah ran her hand teasingly over his bare chest once again. He pulled her in and held her against him. He moved his hand from her thigh and ran it up her back, he tugged at her shirt and slid his hand underneath the material. Sarah cringed as his hand made contact with her bare skin.

"uh uh uh." she pulled away. "Who's moving too fast now?" she teased. He smirked in response, his eyes watched her hungrily as she pulled back a little.

"Where is Haz?" She was so close to getting the answers she needed and if it meant having some slime ball feel her up a little bit to save Chuck's life she would do it. It's not like it's the first time she's had to seduce someone to get information. It was however the first time she's had to since she and Chuck happened and she had to admit, it felt completely different now. She had to believe in the back of her mind, that he would understand and that it was part of the job. It's not like she was actually going to let anything actually happen with this guy. "What's the matter, cat get your tongue?" she teased. "Haz, where is he?" she asked again.

He began to laugh. "What's so funny?" She backed away from him and stood from the bed.

"You'll never find him." he finally managed to reply. "Did you know that no one even knows what Haz looks like?" Sarah looked at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Haz is a master of disguise. He takes on new identities like woman changes clothes. He could be in the same room as you and you would never even know it." the man managed to get out before going into a coughing fit.

Sarah grabbed a glass of water from the table by his bed and helped him drink from it.

"Thanks darlin'" he replied as she set the glass back down on the table.

"Do you know where Haz is? What's he planning?" Sarah was quick to ask. Adams was talking and she wanted to get as much information out of him as she could.

"Haz…he…"The man began to cough again… "intersect…" blood began to drip from his mouth. The next thing Sarah knew, his eyes closed and monitors began going off. A team of medical professionals quickly made their way to the room, pushing Sarah out of the way as they rushed to his side. They tried for several minutes to revive him but were unsuccessful.

"Time of death 12:47." the doctor said as he pulled the sheet over Adams' face.

"Dammitt!" Sarah walked out of the room, she was in a daze. She was finally getting somewhere with the ring agent and now he was dead. Could anything else possibly go wrong? She thought to herself. Just then Sarah's phone rang. Finally on the third ring, she retrieved it from her pocket. Without even looking at the caller ID, she answered abruptly.

"Walker." she spoke into the phone.

"Sarah?" the voice form the other end of the phone questioned.

Sarah's mouth dropped once again. She moved the phone away from her ear to look at the screen and cringed.

"Ellie!" she exclaimed putting the phone back up to her ear. "How are you? How's the honeymoon going?" With everything that had been happening the past few weeks, Sarah had completely forgotten all about Ellie. She had said she would cross that bridge when she came to it and from the looks of it, that time was now.

"I'm fine Sarah, are you okay? You seem kind of shaken up." Ellie questioned.

"What? No I'm fine, great really. Is everything okay with you?" Sarah was trying desperately to take the focus off herself.

"Everything's great Sarah. Devon and I just got home last night."

"You're home?"

"Yeah, actually I was calling to see what was going on with Chuck?"

"Chuck?" Sarah tried her best to sound surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I forgot my cell phone at home when Devon and I left for our honeymoon. I was going through my messages this morning and I got this one from Chuck. Something about going out of town for a job. He said he didn't know when he would be coming back. I was just wondering if you've heard from him, where is he, what's this job he's talking about?"

Sarah went silent, She didn't know what to say. She wasn't expecting all these questions, not today anyway and she hadn't had any time to prepare the kind of answers Ellie would want to hear.

"Yeah Ellie, I actually just talked to Chuck a few hours ago. He's good. He's been really busy with all his training. Doesn't really get a chance to call very often. It was actually the first chance I even had to speak with him in a couple of weeks." Sarah bit her tongue and waited for Ellie's response. Maybe she shouldn't have mentioned that last part. Ellie wouldn't understand why Chuck wouldn't have called his girlfriend in weeks unless they were having some problems.

"What?" A few weeks? Sarah, I don't understand. Why wouldn't Chuck find time to call you? Is everything okay with you two? And what is this job anyway? Chuck was so vague in his message. Sarah I'm really starting to worry about him. This isn't like Chuck to just up and leave and.." Ellie was on a rampage. Sarah had to cut her off before she went any further.

"Ellie! Relax, Chuck is fine." Sarah took a seat in the empty waiting room outside of Major Adams room. "We're fine. Trust me."

Ellie seemed to relax a little on the other end. "Sarah, where is he? What is he doing?" She posed the questions again.

"He's in New York right now. They have him traveling a lot. I believe he was leaving for Europe tonight." Sarah lied. She hated lying to Ellie. She had really become close with her the past few months, helping her with the wedding preparations and all.

"Europe? For what? What is this job Sarah?"

Sarah had to think quickly, "He was hired by a private firm to develop some new operating systems. They've been sending him to some top notch agencies all over world to conduct research and work alongside some of the world's top developers. He's been working non-stop. Between the different time zones and the facts that he has constantly been on the go, we just really didn't have a chance to connect with each other before today." Sarah prayed silently that Ellie would believe her lies.

"Sarah…That's horrible."

"What?" That wasn't the reaction that Sarah had been anticipating.

"You must really miss him." Ellie responded.

She believed it, Ellie believed her story. Sarah was in the clear, at least for a while anyway.

"You have no idea."

"When does he come home Sarah?" Ellie continued to grill her.

"I don't know. Chuck didn't know when I talked to him. We're hoping it will be soon. He loves the traveling, but he's anxious to come home."

"Well of course he is. He must be missing you like crazy. I can't even remember the last time you two went a day without seeing one another. Are you okay sweetie?"

"I'm fine Ellie, Thanks for your concern and all."

"You must come to dinner Sarah." Ellie blurted out.

"What?" Sarah questioned Ellie's motives.

"So we can catch up. I've missed you. Come to dinner tonight."

"Oh, Ellie that's sweet, but I have to work tonight, I can't."

"Well tomorrow then." Sarah couldn't think of another good excuse at the moment.

"I'll try Ellie."

"I'll call you tomorrow then. Can't wait to see you." Before Sarah could say another word Ellie hung up the phone.

Sarah rubbed at her temples the oncoming headache was going to be a massive one, she could feel it now.

Sarah took out her phone and hit number 2 on her speed dial. She waited patiently for someone to pick up on the other end. Finally after five rings there was an answer.

"General Beckman please."

"Lieutenant Walker……Yes I'll hold.

_**Feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading.**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A nice long chapter to start the new year off with. Hope you all enjoy! I'm trying to get as much of this story written before the season 3 premier next week. Thanks for reading. Please leave reviews and let me know what you think.**_

**Disclaimer: Sadly I own nothing!**

Chapter 9

Sarah stood at the front door, taking a deep breath, she prepared herself to knock. She had been putting off dinner with Ellie and Awesome now for the past two weeks. She would have rather been anywhere than there at that moment. Sarah hadn't been to the apartment since the night Chuck had left two months ago. There were so many memories there, so many reminders. Had Ellie not been so persistent about her coming to dinner and had Sarah not run out of excuses to come there's no doubt that Sarah would be spending yet another night at the castle trying to find something, anything that would lead them to Haz.

The shootout at the warehouse two weeks prior had left Sarah down 2 field agents and hardly any new information to go on. It all frustrated Sarah to no end, not to mention the fact that she was constantly worrying about Chuck and his safety. She missed him, more than words could convey. Had the circumstances been a little different, Sarah might actually enjoy having the night off.

Sarah knocked lightly on the door. It was mere seconds before the door flung open.

"Sarah!" Ellie greeted Sarah with a big hug. "I'm so glad you came. Come in." Ellie ushered Sarah inside the apartment. "It's so good to see you. My God it has been so long."

"I know, It's been too long." Sarah replied.

"Come, sit." Ellie guided her over to the couch and proceeded to pour them each a glass of wine. "How have you been Sarah?"

"Umm…I've been okay." Sarah seemed hesitant with her response which didn't go unnoticed by Ellie.

"Have you heard from him lately?" Ellie sipped at her wine.

Sarah took a big gulp of her wine. "No…it's been a couple of weeks."

"Sarah I don't understand. Is he that busy that he can't pick up the phone?"

"No, it's not that…I mean…he's called….he's left messages…we just…" Sarah sighed.

"I'm sorry Sarah, I know this has to be really hard for you, it's hard for me not being able to talk to my brother, I can't even imagine what it must be like for you." Ellie poured more wine into their glasses.

"Yeah…it's hard…enough about me, tell me about you. How is married life? How was the honeymoon?" Sarah tried her best to steer the conversation.

Ellie beamed. "Married life is…well…awesome."

"Speaking of Awesome, where is he?" Sarah asked looking around and seeing no signs of Devon in the apartment.

"Oh, I sent him to the liquor store for a special bottle of wine to go with dinner tonight. He should be back any minute now…So you want to see the wedding pictures?" Ellie grabbed the huge photo album that was resting on the coffee table.

"Absolutely."

"These ones are from the first wedding." Ellie pointed to the formal pictures of the bridal party. They were followed by pictures from the beach.

"These are gorgeous Ellie." Sarah sipped at her wine as Ellie went through picture after picture.

"This is one of my favorites from the reception." Ellie pointed to a picture of Sarah and Chuck.

Sarah smiled as she ran her fingers over the photo of the two of them.

"Actually I had a copy made for you."

"Ellie you didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense. It's a great picture. You look gorgeous and you and Chuck look adorable. The picture is on Chuck's bed so don't forget it when you leave."

"Well hello there ladies." Devon greeted Ellie and Sarah as he entered the apartment. He placed the wine down on the table before joining his wife and Sarah on the couch. Devon leaned in to kiss Ellie on the lips. "Mmm I missed you." he said pulling away.

"I missed you." Ellie replied before leaning in for another kiss. Sarah couldn't help but feel a little jealous and she vowed that once Chuck came home she would never take a single moment they shared together for granted, no matter how mundane it seemed. It was those little moments that mattered the most. They were the moments that got you through all the big stuff.

Sarah's thoughts were interrupted by the timer on the oven going off.

"Oh the lasagna is ready." Ellie hopped up off the couch and darted out to the kitchen, leaving Sarah and Devon to catch up.

"So Sarah, how have you been?" Devon turned his attention to the blonde on the other end of the couch.

"I've been good, you?" Sarah replied, just before downing the last of her wine.

"Great." Devin replied. "So what is the deal with Chuck?" Devon lower his voice so Ellie couldn't hear them.

"What do you mean?" Sarah took the opportunity to refill her wine glass. It was obvious to her that she was going to be needing all the liquid courage she could get to make it through this dinner.

"Sarah where is he really?"

"Devon, it's just like he said, he's training for a job." Sarah replied taking a rather large sip from her glass.

"Is it spy training?" Devon asked in nearly a whisper.

"Devon, I can't talk about this with you." Sarah replied in hushed tones.

"Right. I got it, top secret government stuff. I hear ya."

"Dinner's ready guys." Ellie called from the kitchen. "Come on before it gets cold."

Sarah downed the last bit of wine that remained in her glass before she and Devon joined Ellie at the table.

* * *

"General, you wanted to see me?" Chuck reluctantly entered General Beckman's office. He had been there training for nearly two months now and this was only the third time he had actually seen the general.

"Agent Carmichael, please come in. Have a seat." She motioned for him to take a seat in the chair in front of her desk.

"Is everything okay General? It sounded urgent that you speak to me." Chuck took a seat and waited eagerly for the General's reply.

"Everything is fine Chuck, in fact, that is why I wanted to see you. You have done an outstanding job here. You have mastered skills that take your typical agent months, some even years to perfect. There are definitely some spy skills that you need to work on, but they are all things that can be learned on the job. We haven't really been able to learn too much about intersect 2.0; however, I believe that will come in time."

"General what are you saying?" Chuck adjusted himself in the chair, eager for the General's response.

"What I'm saying Chuck, is that it's time to put you back in the field. Your team in L.A has had very little luck finding any leads on Haz or infiltrating the Ring. I think the best

option right now is to get you back in there, utilize your special skill set and bring this guy in. The Ring is like no other terrorist group we've seen before and to make it worse, they're internal. I truly believe Chuck that you are the key to bringing them down. I want you back in L.A by the end of the week. Walker and Casey will resume your training. What they can't teach you, you will learn in the field."

Chuck didn't know what to say, he was dumbfounded. Did General Beckman just say he was going home?

"Carmichael? Did you hear what I said? You're going back to L.A. There are a few lose ends I want wrapped up with your training here, but come the end of the week, you will be flying home."

Chuck smiled. "Yes General, that's wonderful news."

"Agent Hansen will update you on your training schedule for the week. McKinley will escort you back to L.A on Thursday and brief Walker on your training and deliver further instruction. Good luck Agent Carmichael."

The General stood from her Chair and extended her hand to Chuck across her desk. Chuck stood from his chair and shook hands with the General just as Agent Hansen entered to escort Chuck back to the classroom.

"Thank you General." Chuck replied as he made his exit.

"So I hear you're getting out of here?" Agent Hansen commented once he and Chuck were out in the hall and out of Beckman's earshot.

"That's what they tell me."

"You honestly think you're ready for this?" Hansen questioned. " Two months of training is nothing in the spy world."

'The General thinks I'm ready. Besides, you're forgetting I have two years of field experience on top of my training here. Not to mention I work with the best team out there." Chuck was defensive. Who was Agent Hansen to question the General's decision and although he never had the pleasure, Chuck was pretty sure he could kick this guy's ass should the opportunity present itself.

"You think pretty highly of yourself and your fellow agents don't you Carmichael? You seem to be forgetting, without the intersect, you're nothing. You're just a mediocre computer nerd who found himself involved in a world he has no right to be in."

"Is that something you're willing to bet on Hansen? You know nothing about me or my team, so before you start passing judgment on us, perhaps you should do your research. For your information, I was supposed to be recruited back in college, my test scores were off the charts. The intersect, well that's just an added bonus. Now how about you do your job and go over my itinerary with me like the General ordered."

Hansen glared at Chuck. He didn't like people putting him in his place, especially someone like Charles Carmichael.

"You have class from 3-5. Take an hour for dinner and go rest up. Following that I will be conducting another session of physical torture in chamber 3. It's going to be a long session. Good luck super spy." with that Hansen walked off leaving Chuck behind.

Chuck shook his head as he made his way into the classroom. "Jerk." he muttered under his breath.

"What's that?" Agent McKinley asked, turning his attention to Chuck.

"Nothing." Chuck replied. "Just… What the hell is that guy's problem anyway?"

"You're going to have to be more specific there Carmichael."

"Hansen." Chuck sat down at his desk.

"Oh right, that guy. What did he do now?" McKinley asked making his way over to Chuck.

"Tell me, did I do something to piss him off?"

"Chuck that guy doesn't like anyone. Don't take it personally. Don't let him ruin your good news."

"You heard?"

"Yup, looks like you're busting out of here."

A smile came over Chuck's face.

"I take it by the smile on your face, you're not gonna miss us here?"

Chuck laughed.

" I also assume from that smile on your face that maybe you have someone special that you're going home to."

"Ahh, I'll never talk." Chuck laughed.

"Carmichael, have you learned nothing? Don't you know by now that everyone talks?"

"So I've heard." Chuck smiled as he envisioned his soon to be reunion with one Sarah Walker.

* * *

Dr. Haz stared intensely at his computer screen. He turned his attention to the equipment next to him and adjusted a few dials. "Only one more screening and we'll be up and running." he said to himself.

Haz had to up and move his whole operation after the incident at the warehouse two weeks ago. Luckily for him the CIA and NSA had no clue what they had stumbled upon. Had they been able to operate the equipment they found they would have seen the Intel, all the images, exact photocopies from Chuck's flashes. The devices he had implanted when he examined Chuck allowed him to make an exact replica. It wouldn't be long now before he had his hands on his very own copy of the intersect and once that was the case he could do away with Agent Charles Carmichael once and for all.

"Haz?" The man entered the small, dark room where Haz worked diligently.

"Yes? What is it?" Haz looked up from his computer screen.

"Sir…I thought you should know…" the man stumbled on his words.

"Know what?" Haz demanded.

"Word is, they're releasing Carmichael from lockdown. They're putting him in the field."

"Really? Excellent. He'll be unprotected." Haz smiled, taking in the latest news regarding the intersect.

"What about his team in L.A?" the man questioned.

"Please, they are small time. Do you really think they are any match for the Ring? We could have taken them out by now if we wanted to. It's all part of the plan."

"What exactly is the plan again?"

Haz laughed. "It's simple. Obtain the intersect, form an army and rule the world." Haz laughed at his brilliance. "So when is agent Carmichael being released?"

"I believe on Thursday."

"Excellent, that gives us time to set things in motion. Let's be sure to give Agent Carmichael an unforgettable home coming."

* * *

"Ellie, that was so good. I love strawberry cheesecake. I can't believe you made it from scratch!" Sarah exclaimed before sipping at her fresh glass of wine that Ellie had just poured for them.

"Are you kidding? Why do you think I married her?" Devon wrapped his arms around Ellie from behind, pulling her in close he began to trail kisses down her neck.

"Oh Sarah!" Ellie brushed Devon off her, grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her back towards the living room. "I almost forgot. I want to show you the wedding DVD."

The two girls stumbled into the living room, nearly spilling their wine in the process. Ellie popped in the DVD and joined Sarah back on the couch.

"Oh, honey can you bring in that bottle of wine when you come in?" Ellie yelled to Devon who was still out in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner.

Devon picked up the wine bottle from the counter only to discover that it was empty. "Umm, it's empty babe." Devon added it to the other two bottles that were residing next to the sink.

"Honey, just grab another bottle from the wine rack." Ellie started the DVD.

"Babe you think that's a good idea? You two have already polished off 3 bottles." Devon gave her a questioning look.

Ellie paused the DVD and turned her attention to Devon in the kitchen. "Devon, it's fine, I'm not driving and I'm not on call tonight. Sarah can stay here tonight. Just get the bottle."

"If you say so hun." Devon grabbed a bottle and joined the ladies in the living room.

"Ellie, I don't need to stay… here tonight, really, I'm perrrfeccly fiiiiine to go home." Sarah slurred her words.

"Sarah, you're not driving home tonight, end of discussion." Devon said as he settled down on the couch between Ellie and Sarah. "Now, let's watch this DVD."

* * *

Chuck stood shirtless, his hands were tied tightly to the old rusty pipe above his head. His legs shackled together.

"Who do you work for Carmichael?" Hansen grilled him. Chuck did not respond.

"We have ways of making you talk you know. I'll ask you again Carmichael, who do you work for." Again there was no response.

"Very well then." Chuck clenched his teeth and closed his eyes in an attempt to prepare himself for what he knew was coming next. It was like a shard of glass ripping through his entire body as the whip came in contact with the bare flesh of his back. Chuck winced in pain. "I'll ask you one last time, who do you work for Carmichael?" Chuck did not answer.

"You are not a very bright man now are you Carmichael." He barely got the words out before taking a pipe to Chuck's abdomen. He delivered 4 blows before hitting him upside the head with the. Blood poured down the side of Chuck's face. The bruises on his stomach already forming.

"What do you know about the intersect?" Hansen began questioning him again.

Agent McKinley enter the chamber. He wanted to check in on Chuck and see how his training was coming along. He stood by the back wall and watched as Hansen continued with his methods.

"I asked you a question Carmichael. What do you know about the intersect?" Chuck remained focused on his breathing. He was pretty sure he had some broken ribs being that it was so painful to take a breath at this point. He closed his eyes and pictured Sarah. If anyone could get him through this it was her. Chuck winced as the whip made contact with his back once again and again and again. Blood poured off his back leaving welts where the whip had made contact.

"AAHHHHHH!!" Chuck moaned in pain.

The torture continued for the next two hours, the whole time Chuck remained silent.

"Hansen, I think that's enough." McKinley said from the back of the room.

"Excuse me?" Hansen replied.

"You heard me. You have been at this for hours now. Carmichael is not cracking. I would say the session is over."

"The session is over when I say it's over McKinley.' Hansen was fuming.

"I don't know who you think you are Hansen. Your orders were to train him not kill him. Don't make me get Beckman down here."

"Fine. We're done here." Hansen walked over to Chuck and untied his wrists, causing him to fall to the ground. Hansen didn't bother to help him up, he just walked out the room leaving Chuck lying motionless on the floor.

McKinley approached, kneeling down to check his vitals. "Carmichael, you okay?" he asked trying to help him up.

Chuck groaned as he moved to stand up. His left eye swollen shut, his bottom lip swollen and bleeding. The blood continued to drip down his face. He wheezed as he struggled to get on his feet.

"Yeah,…I'm o…okay."

"Let's get you to the medics." McKinley said throwing Chuck's arm over his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around Chuck's waist and helped him down the hall to the infirmary.

* * *

Sarah stumbled down the hall to Chuck's room. She definitely had her reservations about spending the night there tonight, but she was in no condition to be driving home and it was late. All those sleepless nights and the excessive drinking tonight had finally taken it's toll on her.

She paused outside his door momentarily to catch her bearings. Slowly she opened the door, flicked on the light switch and made her way inside closing the door behind her. Everything was just as he had left it the night he left.

Sarah kicked off her shoes and made her way over to his dresser. Grabbing a t-shirt from his drawer, Sarah began to undress. She stumbled as she struggled to slip her pants off and not lose her balance. After that she removed her top and replaced it with Chuck's t-shirt. Leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor, Sarah made her way to the bed. Just as Sarah turned down the bed covers, it caught her eye. The picture of her and Chuck from the wedding. A single tear made it's way down Sarah's cheek as she laid back on the bed, clutching the photo in her hand, she closed her eyes and it wasn't long before she surrendered to an alcohol induced slumber.

* * *

"Boy Hansen really let you have it." the medic commented as he finished taping the bandages securely around Chuck's ribs.

"I guess you could say that." Chuck replied, wincing in pain, the tighter the medic pulled.

"Here, take these. They should take the edge off." He handed Chuck a couple of pain killers. Agent McKinley grabbed a cup by the nearby sink and filled it with water. He handed it to Chuck.

Chuck tossed the pills in his mouth and chased it with the water.

"Well you're all cleaned up. The ribs are going to take a few weeks to heal completely, you're going to be sore as hell for quite some time. Come see me in the morning and I'll give you something for the pain, you're going to need it."

"Great. Thanks doctor." Chuck eased himself off the exam table and McKinley grabbed the door and helped Chuck back down the hall to his bunker.

"Try to get some rest Carmichael, Beckman has you scheduled for classes early in the morning. I'll talk to her about keeping you out of the gym for the next couple days, let her know what happen."

"Thanks man." Chuck eased himself down onto his bed. As soon as he hit the mattress the sharp shooting pain in his head hit.

"AAAHHHHHH!!!" His hands flew to his temples. He pulled at his hair as the pain intensified.

"Carmichael? You okay?" Agent McKinley was by his side in seconds.

Leaning forward, Chuck fell to the floor. He groaned as he convulsed in pain.

"Carmichael?…MEDICS!!!" McKinley yelled and within seconds. The doctor who had just treated Chuck along with several other medical professionals entered Chuck's room.

"I don't know what happened, he grabbed his head and started moaning in pain." McKinley informed them as they went to work on Chuck.

"Alright let's move him out. Get him back down the hall so I can examine him further." The doctor instructed. His team gathered around and brought Chuck to his feet and escorted him back down the hall.

* * *

"_Oh I almost forgot." Chuck pulled out his IPOD, pressed a few buttons and laid it on top of the cooler. Soft music began to play. Chuck got up on his feet and extended his hand to Sarah. "How about it Miss Walker?…Want to dance?"_

_  
Sarah smiled up at him and extended her hand to him. He pulled her to her feet. "You know I do." She said before he took her in his arms. _

_  
The two began to sway slowly to the music that filled the air. Sarah rested her head on Chuck's shoulder and he lovingly caressed her back as they moved in time to the music. They were both silent as they took in the moment, savoring every minute of their last night together._

"_Sarah…Before I leave…there's something I want to say to you." Chuck parted slightly from Sarah so that he could look at her._

"_Chuck what is it?" She couldn't help but miss his arms around her as he pulled away._

"_I'm sure it's not anything that is going to come as a surprise to you, I've always been pretty open with you about my feelings. I just…I know you're not really good with this whole expressing yourself and talking about your feelings…I just don't want you to feel like you.." Chuck rambled on, Sarah knew this was his nervous chatter._

"_Chuck, just say it." She placed her finger over his lips to silence him._

"_Sarah. Before I leave, I just wanted to tell you….I need to tell you…I love you…I have never loved anyone the way I love you. You mean everything to me, and I didn't want to leave you tomorrow without you knowing that." Chuck's eyes fell to the ground, he was actually scared to look at her, he wasn't sure how she would react to him actually saying the words._

_  
Sarah pulled away from him and turned, her back now facing him._

"_Sarah?….Please say something." He pleaded with her taking a step closer to her. She could feel his breath on her neck._

"_Chuck…It's just…that's the first time a guy has ever said that to me where I actually believed it…" _

_  
Chuck placed a hand on her shoulder prompting her to turn around and face him. Finally she did. "You should believe it Sarah, because it's the truth."_

"_I know. And you're right Chuck, I'm not good at expressing my feelings. I never have been…Believe it or not, I've never actually said those words to anyone before, at least not in the context you're saying them to me…I thought I was in love once before but…I don't know anymore… Chuck…When I'm with you….I feel things I've never felt before…No one has ever made me feel this way in my whole life…Until I figure out what all these things I'm feeling are…I…"_

_  
Chuck reached out for her hands. "Hey it's okay Sarah, I understand. You don't have to say it right now. I know you care about me and that's enough for now."_

Sarah woke in a cold sweat. This wasn't the first time she dreamt of that night. It was one of her last real conversations she had with Chuck before she left. He had told her exactly how he felt. Left all his cards on the table. Sarah rolled over in the bed. Chuck's bed. How she wished he was with her in that bed at that very moment. There is so much she would say to him.

Just as quickly as she rolled over, Sarah had realized her mistake. Her mouth watered, her stomach turned and she could feel the bile making it's way up her throat. Sarah struggled with the covers. She quickly made it to her feet. Sarah had to grab hold of the doorway to steady herself because as soon as she was on her feet, the whole room around her began to spin. Sarah managed to make her way down the hall and into the bathroom mere seconds before ridding her body of its toxins.

Sarah didn't think it was humanly possible for someone to puke that much. Just when she thought she was done, she would start another round of gut wrenching vomiting. After her third go with the porcelain bowl, Sarah leaned back against the wall and let the tears fall.

"Sarah?" Devon called her name from the other side of the bathroom door. When she didn't answer, Devon took it upon himself to open the door and peer inside.

"Sarah you okay?" Devon peeked in.

"Uh..huh.." Sarah managed to get out between sobs.

Devon opened the door all the way and entered the bathroom. He knelt down next to Sarah who was still sitting on the bathroom floor. "Are you sick?" he asked.

Sarah nodded as the tears continued to fall.

Devon wet a wash cloth and dabbed at Sarah's face with it. She looked up at him when she felt the cool water on her face.

"Sarah, why are you crying?" Devon took a seat next to her on the floor.

"I…I…should have…told him…before…he left." She managed to get out between sobs.

"Told who what?" Devon was confused.

"Chuck…I Never..told him."

Devon continued to wipe at Sarah's face with the cloth in an attempt to calm her down.

"Tell him what Sarah?"

"That I love him…I love him."

"Sarah, I'm sure he knows. And you can tell him when he comes home."

"What if he doesn't come home?"

"Sarah why wouldn't he come home?" a look of concerned came over Devon's face.

"He'll find someone else…someone…someone who's not afraid."

"Afraid of what Sarah?"

"To love him….oh God!" Before Sarah could say another word she found herself hugging the toilet once again.

Devon held her hair back while she continued to purge. After about five minutes, Sarah pulled away from the toilet, she sat back against the wall and Devon handed her the washcloth.

"You okay?" He asked her once again.

"Devon….I'm so drunk." and the tears started falling once again.

"I know Sarah, I know."

* * *

"Doctor, I have Carmichael's cat scan results. There's definitely something there that wasn't showing up in his last one." the technician handed the doctor the test results.

"What the hell is that?" he examined the test results closely. "Get Beckman down here, now!"

"Yes Doctor."

The doctor moved over to Chuck who was lying on the exam table.

"Agent Carmichael, How are you doing?"

"It…hurts.." Chuck groaned.

"I know it does. Agent Carmichael I have your cat scan results back. We found something. It appears as there has been something implanted on your brain. I believe this is the cause of the pain you are feeling. These attacks you keep having. I need to consult with General Beckman first, but I would like to go in and remove it. I have to warn you Carmichael it could be quite dangerous."

"Just do it….Please…I cant…stand this pain any longer…" Chuck spoke through clenched teeth.

"Doctor, what did you find?" General Beckman entered the infirmary with two guards by her side.

The doctor went about explaining his findings to General Beckman. General Beckman was in agreement that this device needed to be removed, but she was also concerned about any damage that may be caused to the intersect.

"General if we are going to do this, we need to do it soon."

"Very well then, Do what needs to be done, just be careful."

The General moved over to Chuck who still appeared to be in a great deal of pain.

"Carmichael, they're going to be taking you into surgery now. I understand the doctor has spoken to you about this and you are in agreement to have the procedure done."

"Yes, just take it out." Chuck managed to get out.

"Very well then. Sit tight Chuck, they'll be taking you to remove it soon." The General replied.

"General?"

"Yes Carmichael." The General turned her attention back to Chuck.

"Sarah…if…anything happens…" He struggled to find the words.

"Chuck, you're going to be fine." the General tried to reassure him the best she could, it wasn't a role she was used to.

"Please…tell her…I..love her."

"That won't be necessary Chuck, you're going to be fine."

"Promise!!" He was more aggressive this time. "You owe me that much." he pleaded.

"I promise Chuck, I'll tell her."

"We're ready to take him now." The doctor said approaching the General. "Alright team, lets get this thing out."

Chuck was transferred to a stretcher and moved down the hallway to the operating room on site while the doctor scrubbed in.

"General? I see they are taking Carmichael to the operating room, is he okay?" Agent McKinley asked as he approached the General.

"I hope so…for all our sakes."

_**Well there you have it Chapter 9. A lot will be going down in the next chapter so stay tuned. I look forward to your feedback. Thanks for reading.**_


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks everyone for your wonderful comments and reviews. They always inspire me to write more. This is the longest chapter yet, so enjoy. I look forward to your feedback.

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately I own nothing._

**Chapter 10**

Sarah squinted, the sun streamed in through the blinds, beating down on her like a spotlight. The pounding in her head seemed to intensify by the second. She groaned as she pulled the covers over her head. She recalled the events of last night. They played over and over in her head like a broken record, every little detail. Despite the heavy quantity of alcohol she had consumed last night, it did nothing for her memory. She remembered everything. Every mortifying detail.

There was a light knock on the door. To Sarah it may as well have been someone kicking the door down. She held her head waiting for the noise to stop.

"Sarah." She heard her name, followed by the doorknob turning. Sarah peeked out from underneath the covers to see Ellie in the doorway.

"Sarah?" Ellie called out again.

"Hey." Sarah replied, still trying to shield her eyes partially with the covers. Ellie was squinting herself as she staggered into the room and took a seat on the edge of Chuck's bed.

"How are you doing?" Ellie asked.

"Uh..been better…you?" Sarah managed to get out.

"Yeah, not feeling so great." Ellie rubbed at her temples. "I heard you had quite the night. How are you feeling?"

Sarah laid back on the bed and pulled the covers up high to cover her face. "Embarrassed." She replied, muffled through the blankets.

"Sarah you have nothing to be embarrassed about…Who hasn't had too much to drink before and regretted something they did or said? At least you were here with friends."

Sarah removed the covers. "That doesn't make me feel better Ellie."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I think I did enough talking last night." Sarah looked away.

"Sarah it's okay to miss him." Ellie tried her best to reassure her.

"I guess, I'm just not dealing with this as well as I would like to be…It's…new for me." She finally replied.

"I'm always here if you want to talk."

"Thanks." Sarah said as she glanced at the clock. "It's after Nine?"

"Yeah. So listen I came in to tell you that if you want to take a shower, you can borrow some clothes, just help yourself."

"Thanks, I need to get ready for work." Sarah fought with the covers. She managed to free herself and sat on the edge of the bed. "Whoa."

"Give it a minute, it'll stop spinning. I had to sit on the edge of the bed for about 5 minutes before I could stand up."

Ellie left Sarah to get ready for the day. Sarah managed to get out of the bed. She was just about to head for the shower when her stomach decided it had some more toxins to rid itself of. Sarah made a beeline for the bathroom.

* * *

"I'll call you later." Casey spoke into his cell phone.

"Okay John, talk to you soon." Agent Erin Molloy responded.

Casey had taken a liking to Agent Molloy. Two weeks prior when the two of them had been shot at the warehouse, Sarah had ordered him to stay with her, make sure she was okay. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he would find a companion and quite possibly, the love of his life in the process.

"Bye." Casey spoke softly into the phone a grin from ear to ear adorned his usually detached face.

"Bye." she sighed contently on her end.

Casey waited, but didn't hear the phone disconnect. "Are you still there?" He asked.

"Yes, I was waiting for you to hang up." She replied with a giggle.

Casey laughed. "I was waiting for you to hang up."

"You hang up first." Erin replied.

"No _you_ hang up first."

"No _you _hang up first."

The flirtatious banter went on for a few more rounds. Finally Casey spoke up.

"I have an idea. How about we hang up at the same time?"

She giggled again. "Okay."

"So on the count of three, we'll both hang up?" he suggested.

"Okay."

"one, two.." Casey started to count.

"Wait!" Erin protested from her end of the phone line.

"What's the matter?" Casey asked, concern in his voice.

"Are we hanging up on three or after three?" She asked.

"After three. So it's one, two, three, hang up." he explained

"Okay."

"Alright then, so one…two…three." He waited patiently a few seconds passed. "You still there?" Casey's question was answered by a giggle and he couldn't help but laugh himself.

Suddenly his TV screen lit up before him and he was greeted by General Beckman.

"Colonel Casey."

"General!" Casey jumped, he felt like a teenage boy who's mother just walked in on him in the bathroom. "Okay gotta go." he spoke into his phone and hung up quickly before turning his attention back to the TV screen. "General Beckman. We weren't scheduled for a briefing, is everything okay?"

"Casey, I've been trying to get a hold of Lieutenant Walker but she hasn't answered her phone. I want you both at Castle in an hour for an emergency briefing. There have been some developments."

"Yes General, I will get a hold of Walker."

"One hour Casey." The General repeated before the screen went blank.

"What now?" Casey picked up his cell phone and tried Sarah's number.

* * *

Sarah had finally managed to pull herself together. Once she was showered and dressed, she slowly made her way out to the dining room where Ellie was sitting at the table. Devon was out in the kitchen working on one of his blender creations.

"No, Morgan, I have not heard from Chuck." Ellie spoke into her cell phone. "No, Sarah hasn't either…..If I talk to him I will have him call you…Look Morgan, I'm not feeling so great today, I'm going to have to let you go….okay…..Bye Morgan." Ellie closed the phone and tossed it down on the table. She laid her head down on the table, it hurt too much to try to hold it up any longer than she had already.

Sarah approached the table and sat down across from Ellie. "Morgan?" Sarah asked with a knowing look.

Ellie groaned. "He won't stop calling."

"Yeah he's been calling me too."

Devon approached from the kitchen, carrying two glasses of his latest concoction. "I think Morgan may miss Chuck more than the two of you combined." He stated as he set the glasses down in front of them. He then proceeded to place three aspirin in front of each of them.

"I doubt that." Sarah said to no one in particular.

"What is this?" Ellie asked pointing to the glass in front of her.

"Don't ask, just drink. Trust me ladies. Just take your aspirin and drink."

Ellie and Sarah picked up the pills and tossed them into their mouths, chasing them with Devon's special drink. Almost on cue, they both slammed their glasses back down on the table as they struggled to keep the drink down.

After she managed to swallow what was in her mouth, Ellie turned her attention to Devon "This is disgusting!" she exclaimed.

Sarah just made a face and pushed the glass away.

Devon pushed it back towards her. He picked Ellie's back up and placed it in her hand.

"Drink." he said. "You will thank me in half an hour."

Both girls hesitantly brought the glasses back up to their mouths and began to sip at the nasty mixture.

Halfway through the drink. The trio were interrupted by a ringing sound coming from the living room.

"Is that my cell?" Sarah asked looking around the living room.

"That thing has been going off all morning Sarah." Devon said before taking a sip of his own special colon cleansing shake.

"It has?" Sarah was worried. This couldn't be good. "She looked around the living room frantically. She finally located where the ringing was coming from. She felt around the couch cushions, finding her phone lodged between two of the cushions. Unfortunately she didn't get to it in time.

Sarah looked at the screen, It was Casey calling. Sarah scrolled through her listing of missed calls only to discover she had five missed calls from General Beckman and two from Casey. Sarah panicked as she punched in her password to listen to Casey's message.

"_Walker, Beckman has been trying to get a hold of you. She wants us at Castle within the hour for an emergency briefing. Apparently there has been some developments. I don't know where you are, but you better drop what you're doing and get over here, pronto."_

Sarah sighed, all kinds of thoughts began to race through her head. What if someone had gotten to Chuck? Maybe they found Haz? Sarah didn't like the sound of this. She shoved her phone into her pocket and quickly started gathering her belongings.

"Sarah is everything alright?" Ellie asked, a worried expression now on her face.

"Huh?….Oh, yeah, I just…I'm late for work… My boss is going to kill me….I gotta go." Sarah gathered the last of her things and retrieved her keys off the coffee table.

"Sarah what about your shake?"

"Huh?…oh right." Sarah quickly made her way over to the table. She picked up the glass and pounded down the rest of it's contents.

"Thanks Devon, I feel better already." She said rushing for the front door. "Thanks for the clothes Ellie." Sarah flung the door open and made her exit.

"I'll call you later Sarah." Ellie called out to her before she heard the door shut. "Wow, she was in a hurry huh?" Ellie said turning her attention to Devon. "I didn't know her boss at the Orange Orange was such a hard ass. It's just frozen yogurt, it's not like it's a matter of national security." Ellie chuckled briefly before grabbing her head again. "Owww." She whined.

"Yeah..right…national security. Good one honey." Devon chuckled before taking another swig of his special drink.

* * *

Casey was already in the process of reviewing some of the field agents' reports when Sarah rushed into the castle.

Casey glanced down at his watch. "Cutting it kind of close there Walker." he said with a smirk.

"Casey, what's going on? What did the General say? Is everything okay?"

"You know as much as I do." Casey finally looked up from his reports. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"You look like hell…You're hungover." He accused.

"Casey, I'm not hungover, I'm just a little under the weather today."

"Yeah…because you're hungover." he replied, eyeing her head to toe.

"Fine I had some drinks last night. Is that a crime?"

"No crime. There's nothing wrong with wetting your whistle every now and then. I just assumed with everything that's going on…Well it's not really a good time to be inebriated is it?"

"Let's just say I wasn't thinking clearly last night and I recognize that, so can we please move on?"

Before Casey had a chance to answer, the big screen lit up with Beckman's face.

"Lieutenant Walker, I'm glad to see you could join us." Beckman started.

"General." Sarah tried to protest. "I'm sorry I missed your calls, I.."

"Enough Lieutenant. I don't really care where you were or what you were doing, we have more pressing matters to discuss."

Fear seeped into Sarah's chest causing her a sharp pain. "General, what is it?"

"Well, first off I wanted to inform you both that Agent Carmichael has completed his training here with us. He was set to fly back on Thursday to resume his training with you and get him back in the field."

"General, what do you mean he _was_ set to fly home Thursday? Have the plans changed?" Casey interjected.

"Last night Chuck had another one of his episodes." The General started.

Sarah's jaw dropped, she was ready to go into full blown panic mode.

"Just like the previous episodes, this one was more…aggressive, which has been the pattern with them every time. My onsite physician conducted several tests on Agent Carmichael and found something interesting. Chuck had what appeared to be some kind of electronic device…a microchip if you will, implanted on his brain. We believe the device was the cause of Chuck's episodes. Chuck underwent surgery last night to have the device removed. I have my people working around the clock analyzing the chip, trying to figure out it's function. We are hoping to hear something later today."

"General, is Chuck okay?" Sarah could feel the bile rise in her throat once again. She struggled to keep it down.

"Agent Carmichael is resting comfortably. He has not woken up yet. Once he does, my medical team will assess his condition. If he is stable I still want to send him home later this week."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "Is there anything you need us to do General?"

"For the time being, just continue with your efforts to track down Haz. I'll update you once we know something." Beckman replied before signing off.

Sarah stood there motionless trying to take in all this new information and assess the situation.

"You Okay?" Casey asked, turning his focus to the blonde next to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sarah was now fuming. She had let her guard down with Chuck. She showed her vulnerable side, her human side. It wasn't something she was used to and now instead of one of the CIA's finest, people saw her weakness. How could she ever have both? Her career defined her, but Chuck fulfilled her. She loved them both but was there room in her life for both?

"I mean are you okay?" he repeated.

"Why wouldn't I be okay Casey?" Her tone was cold and unfeeling.

"Because they just operated on your boyfriend's brain…and….you weren't there." The words came out softly and with a hint of compassion which baffled Sarah.

"He's not my boyfriend Casey, you know it's all for cover."

"Sarah, I'm not a moron. I see you two together….I know."

Sarah didn't know what to say. She had thought she had been careful when it came to her and Chuck. Apparently the only person she had been fooling was herself. There was no use denying it now.

"He was alone." she whispered.

"Sarah if there is one thing I have learned about Chuck Bartowski over the past two years, it's that that kid is a lot tougher than he lets on. Don't beat yourself up over this."

Sarah took his words to heart. Yeah Chuck was a lot tougher than he let on, but that didn't make her feel any better about not being there for him.

"Do we have any new leads on Haz?" Sarah was ready to change the subject. She needed to change the subject before everything got too real for her.

"Not really, they did find some prints at the warehouse but no one has been able to identify them yet. In fact I was just getting ready to call Agent Stevens before you got here, to see if he had a report for me. I'll get him on the phone now." Casey pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned to walk away.

"John."

"Yeah?" he said stopping in his tracks and turning his attention back to her.

"Thank you." And she meant it. It wasn't everyday Colonel John Casey uttered words of comfort, offered compassion to someone in need. In fact some might say that from his behavior this very morning, that hell had finally frozen over.

Casey grunted in response. It was a new one Sarah hadn't heard before, but she was pretty sure it was Casey's way of saying 'you're welcome.'

* * *

"Agent Carmichael can you hear me?"

Chuck was beginning to stir. He could make out the light through squinted eyes. His vision still somewhat blurred. He could hear the muffled voices in the background becoming clearer with each second that passed.

"Agent Carmichael."

He heard his name being called. Chuck moaned in response. A few more minutes passed and Chuck's eyes fluttered open. Within seconds a team of nurses along with the doctor, were at his side.

"Agent Carmichael?" The doctor repeated. "How are you feeling Agent Carmichael?" he asked. Chuck moaned once more.

"S…Sar..ah."

"Agent Carmichael do you know where you are? The doctor asked.

"Yes." Chuck managed to get out, barely audible to the ears that surrounded him.

Chuck began to take in his surroundings as everything came into focus.

"Carmichael tell me where you are." The doctor prodded.

Chuck struggled to find the words as he came to.

"C…C..I.A….training…fac…facili…ty." His eyes closed again as he struggled to remain conscious.

"Agent Carmichael, you had surgery last night. Do you remember?"

Chuck had a vague recollection of last nights events. He remembered Agent Hansen beating him to a pulp. He remembered going back to his bunker, the headache, then the blackout. Chuck forced his eyes open again.

"Sur..gery?…why?" He managed to get out.

"You had another one of your episodes Agent Carmichael. I did some more tests and we discovered a microchip implanted on your brain. I believe this device to be the cause of these so called episodes of yours. We successfully removed it and it is being analyzed as we speak. You're going to be fine Agent Carmichael. Now I want you to get some rest. We're going to get you fixed up here and hopefully on a plane home by the end of the week.

Chuck smiled through the pain. 'home' he was going home. A smile formed on his face as he fell back into a deep slumber.

* * *

_**3 days later**_

"Dammitt!!" Haz slammed his fist down on the table. He had spent the better part of the past four days tinkering with his devices. Despite all his efforts his screen continued to read 'system failure.' Something had gone wrong during the last transmission. The chip that Haz had implanted into the intersect was now showing as being offline, which meant that either the device had malfunctioned, or possibly was discovered and removed. The only way for Haz to know for sure and to complete the transmission would be to exam Agent Carmichael once again.

"Sir" one of Haz's operatives entered his private headquarters.

"What is it?" Haz snapped back.

"Sir, sorry to interrupt, I just thought you should know. There is some news regarding the intersect." Haz now turned his attention to the man in the doorway.

"Sir, our informant has told us that the microchip has been removed. The intersect will be returning to Burbank. He's scheduled to land in L.A tonight."

"Perfect." Haz replied.

"Sir, do you want us to bring him in?"

"No."

"No?"

"I have other plans for Agent Carmichael. Get my undercover contact on the phone." Haz ordered.

"Yes sir."

Haz watched his agent leave. "I will have my intersect Agent Carmichael, by any means necessary." Haz stood up from his seat and made his way across the room to a large storage closet. He opened it and immediately went to work searching for the perfect disguise. It was time to do a little field work of his own.

* * *

"There you go." Sarah said handing the young boy his frozen yogurt.

"Thank you." he said before running off to join his mother at the nearby table. The door to the Orange Orange swung open causing Sarah to look up. She watched as Casey entered and made his way up to the counter.

"What can I get you sir?" Sarah asked, loud enough for any customers in ear shot to hear.

"Uh…" Casey quickly glanced up at the menu on the wall. "I'll have a small peaches and cream."

Sarah went to work getting Casey's yogurt. Casey moved in closer to the counter. "I just got off the phone with the General." he said in hushed tones. "Bartowski's plane is scheduled to land at LAX late tonight. She wants us there for pick up and transfer. We're to keep tabs on Bartowski at all times, which means he will be staying with one of us for the time being, I vote that he stays with you."

"Of course you do." she replied as she tossed a spoon into his yogurt.

"Well lieutenant if you would rather her stayed at my place…"

"Casey, it's fine!" she replied handing him the frozen yogurt.

"I thought so." he said taking the yogurt from her. "I'll see ya later." Casey said before leaving the Orange Orange.

Sarah watched Casey make his exit, a smile formed on her face. Chuck was coming home. She would be seeing him in a few hours and she couldn't be happier or more relieved. Sarah had been so caught up in her own thoughts, that she failed to notice the elderly gentleman who sat at the nearby table straining to hear every word that was spoken between the two agents.

* * *

"Gentlemen we'll be taking off in 3minutes." the pilot announced over his radio as Chuck and Agent McKinley settled into their seats on the small private plane.

"How you feeling Carmichael?" How's the head?" McKinley asked Chuck as he went to work fastening his seat belt.

"Good." Chuck smiled. "I'm going home, I'm good."

Chuck and Agent Mckinley were distracted from their conversation when Agent Hansen along with another Agent, who Chuck had never worked with, only had seen in passing, boarded the small private plane.

"Hansen? Is something wrong?" McKinley asked, confused as to why the men were there.

"No, nothings wrong. General Beckman asked that I and Agent Miller accompany you on the transfer, just as an extra precaution given everything that has gone down this past week." Hansen and Miller settled into their own seats.

Chuck gave Agent McKinley a questioning look. McKinley just shrugged his shoulders in response.

The plane's engines roared as the plane came to life. Within seconds, they were air born and well on their way to Los Angeles.

Chuck had taken a couple pain killers and reclined his seat so he could get some rest. He was after all still recovering from surgery a few days prior, not to mention his broken ribs and other ailments from his training session with Agent Hansen.

As exhausted as he was, it didn't take Chuck long to fall asleep after he had closed his eyes. One single image popped into his head. The image of one Sarah Walker. Chuck couldn't wait to see her. It had been nearly three months now that they were apart. Three long, excruciating months. All Chuck wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold on for dear life. And they would be together. Chuck had done what he needed to do. He would be her equal. Nothing could keep them apart now. A smiled formed on Chuck's face as he entered into a deep sleep and the dreams came.

_"Sarah!" He moved towards her. _

_"Chuck!" She ran in his direction to greet him. Once she came in contact with him, she threw herself in his arms. _

_"Ahh.." he squirmed a little in her embrace. _

_"What is it?" she pulled away to look at him as he held his torso. "You're hurt?" concern washed over her. _

_"It's just a few broken ribs, no big deal...now come here." He held his arms out for her once more and she fell gently this time into his embrace. _

_"I can't believe you're here." the tears began to flow now. "Chuck, I've missed you so much." _

_"I know, I missed you Sarah. I was beginning to think I was never going to come home." He leaned down and his lips grazed the top of her head. "I love you." _

_"I love you Chuck." _

_"What?" he questioned, a smile forming on his face. _

_Sarah pulled away from him just enough so she could look him in the eye. She smiled. "I said I love you." _

_"You love me?" _

_Sarah nodded as a fresh tear made it's way down her cheek. Chuck brushed it away with the pad of his thumb. Their eyes met. Chuck slowly leaned in and captured her waiting lips with his. The kiss was slow and sensual, full of raw emotion and although it was brief neither of them had ever felt anything like it before. _

_"Let's go home Chuck." she suggested as Chuck tightened his hold on her. _

_Chuck nodded. Sarah picked up Chuck's duffel bag and slung the strap over her shoulder. She laced her arm around his waist. He rested his arm over her shoulder, pulling her in closer in the process. "Let's go home Sarah." _

A few hours into the flight, Chuck woke when the pilot came on the intercom to announce that they were about an hour from their destination.

Still smiling from the dream that was fresh in his mind, Chuck reached into his pocket and pulled out Sarah's charm bracelet. He held it between his thumb and finger. He couldn't wait to give it back to Sarah. To place it on her wrist where it belonged.

"I'm going to go talk to the pilot." Agent Miller announced getting up from his seat. The three men watched as he entered the cockpit. Chuck adjusted his seat, moving it from it's reclined position.

"Feeling any better? "McKinley asked.

"Yeah, the sleep did me good." Chuck replied.

"You all rested up for your lady?" McKinley joked.

"Sure am." Chuck laughed.

Hansen rolled his eyes which didn't go unnoticed by Chuck. Chuck was about to say something to Hansen when a gunshot was heard coming from the cockpit. Chuck tucked the bracelet back into his pocket.

"What the hell?" McKinley jumped up from his seat. Chuck and Agent Hansen followed suit.

McKinley drew his gun and slowly approached the cockpit. Chuck right behind him.

McKinley kicked in the door and entered the cockpit to find the pilot hunched over the controls, a gunshot to his head. McKinley approached and felt for a pulse. There was none. He stepped back. Just as he was about to turn around, he was struck over the head from behind. Mckinley hit the floor just as Chuck was making his way into the cockpit.

Chuck was met with a gun pointed at his chest. "Not so fast Agent Carmichael." Chuck put his hands up "Back it up, nice and slow now."

Chuck slowly walked backwards out of the cockpit. As he entered the cabin of the plane he was surprised to see Agent Hansen with his gun drawn on him as well.

"Hansen? What are you doing?" he questioned.

"For a super spy you're not very smart Agent Carmichael. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm the guy who's going to capture the intersect." Hansen replied.

Agent Miller grabbed two parachutes from the overhead compartment and began to put one on. Chuck stumbled backwards when the plane hit some turbulence. He could feel the plane dropping, they were losing altitude fast.

Once Agent Miller had his pack on he drew his gun on Chuck once again and tossed the other parachute pack to Hansen. Hansen proceeded to put the pack on.

"You want me to tie him up?" Agent Miller asked.

Hansen nodded. "There's some rope in that compartment behind you."

Agent Miller turned to retrieve the rope. As he did, Hansen turned his gun on him and pulled the trigger, putting a bullet in his head. Blood splattered everywhere. Chuck looked down to find that he was covered in Agent Miller's blood. His hand went to his mouth as he tried to stifle the vomit he could feel making it's way up his throat. He swallowed hard and forced it back down.

"Now Agent Carmichael, I want you to remove his parachute and put it on." Hansen instructed him.

Chuck stood for a moment trying to take everything in.

"NOW CARMICHAEL!!" Hansen was getting angry.

Chuck made his way over the Miller's body. He struggled to remove the bloody pack from the lifeless body.

"Get it on!" Hansen ordered once again.

Chuck slipped his arms through the straps and adjusted them. He could see Agent McKinley beginning to stir out of the corner of his eye.

Once Chuck had the pack on, he slowly walked past Hansen. Hansen followed his every move with his eyes and his gun. His back was now to Agent McKinley who was coming to.

"What exactly is your plan here Hansen?" Chuck asked.

Hansen laughed. "You see that door there Carmichael." he pointed to the door of the plane with his gun.

"Yeah."

"Well Agent Carmichael, you and I are going to take a little dive out that door there. After which I will be delivering you personally to the man you know as Dr. Haz."

"Who is Haz really? Is he with the ring?" Chuck asked.

Hansen laughed. "Is he with the ring? He is the ring."

"What does he want with me?"

"What do you think he wants Carmichael? What does anyone want from you? The intersect."

Chuck watched as McKinley slowly approached Hansen from behind.

"Is Beckman working with you?" Chuck asked.

Hansen laughed again. "Beckman? Please, the General is joke. She is so oblivious to what is going on around her. Like she would have the brains to orchestrate something as inventive as the ring. Beckman is small time."

McKinley cocked his gun as he approached Hansen from behind. "Don't you move Hansen." McKinley said as he moved in closer.

Hansen's vision shifted when he heard the gun click behind him.

McKinley grabbed Hansen from behind. Hansen's gun went off in the process. Chuck saw his chance and took the opportunity to attack. His leg came up kicking the gun from Hansen's hand. Hansen stumbled backwards McKinley held him in a headlock. He squeezed tighter and tighter until Hansen fell unconscious. McKinley grabbed the rope from the nearby compartment and went to work tying up Hansen.

Chuck winced in pain as he struggled to catch his balance. "AAAhhhhh." He held onto his side.

"You okay Chuck?" McKinley looked up at him. Chuck lifted his shirt. The blood poured from his abdomen. "You were hit?"

"Yeah." Chuck staggered over to a seat and sat down.

McKinley removed Hansen's parachute and began to put it on.

McKinley entered the cockpit to assess the situation. Things did not look good.

"Chuck." McKinley entered the cabin and approached Chuck. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I'm fine." He looked pale.

"Can you walk Chuck?" McKinley started to help him up.

"Yeah." within seconds Chuck was on his feet.

"Chuck I need you in the cock pit. You need to see if you can't gain control of this plane."

Chuck made his way to the cockpit with Agent McKinley's assistance. McKinley removed the pilot from his seat to make room for Chuck. Chuck sat down and played with the controls. It was only seconds before the pain shot through Chuck's head. His eyes rolled back and image after image outlining how to fly the plane flashed in his head. Chuck came out of the flash and immediately went to work trying to regain control of the plane. Unfortunately nothing seemed to work.

"The controls are jammed. We're going down!" he exclaimed.

"Let's go Carmichael, we need to get out of here now." He barely got the words out when the control panel went up in flames. Chuck jumped back to avoid getting burned.

McKinley grabbed Chuck by the arm and pulled him out of the cockpit. "Now Chuck, we don't have much time."

The two men approached the door of the plane.

"You remember how to do this right?" McKinley asked. Chuck swallowed hard and nodded. "Here. Tie this end to your pack." McKinley handed him one end of a rope. The other end tied securely to his pack. "It's dark out there, we have no idea what we're jumping in to. This way we won't get separated."

Chuck nodded and went to work fastening the tie to his pack.

"Ready?" McKinley asked.

Chuck swallowed hard once again. "Let's do this." he said

McKinley threw the door open, a gust of wind blew through the plane nearly knocking them on their asses.

"On the count of three Chuck?"

Chuck nodded.

"One, two, three…"

* * *

Casey shut down his computer. Tossed his gun in its holster and turned his attention to Sarah.

"You ready Walker. He should be landing in half an hour." Sarah put down the file she was reading and stood from her chair.

"Yeah, we should head out." she replied, throwing on her Orange Orange sweatshirt.

Just as the two were about to walk out the door of Castle, General Beckman appeared on the screen.

"Lieutenant Walker, Colonel Casey, I'm glad I caught you!" General Beckman exclaimed.

"General?" Sarah replied. "We were just headed out to retrieve Chuck."

"That's what I want to talk to you about."

"Is something wrong General?" Casey asked.

"You could say that." Beckman replied. "Chuck's plane was set to land in 37 minutes. Our surveillance shows that they've gone off the radar and we have been unable to make contact with the plane."

"General, what are you saying?" Casey asked.

"I'm saying, there's good chance the plane went down. Our people are doing everything in their power to find them but we need to prepare for the worst."

Sarah's breath caught in her throat.

"General.." Casey started.

"You two are to remain at Castle. I will be in contact with you as to what our next move is." The General didn't give them a chance to respond and disconnected the call.

"Oh my God!" Sarah's hand covered her mouth in disbelief. "Casey." her eyes watered.

"Sarah don't freak out. We don't know anything yet. Stay focused." Casey tried his best to reassure her. "I'm going to pull up the flight plan and check the satellite images see if I can find something." Sarah nodded in response.

Sarah collapsed into her chair. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not Chuck.

**Well there ya have it. Hope everyone enjoyed. Thanks for reading and I look forward to your reviews.**


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks everyone for the great feedback on Chapter 10. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much. Again it's another long one. Someone had mentioned that Casey seemed to be a little out of character in the last chapter. My intention is to show that there is much more to Casey than what he portrays and it's about time we saw some of that. You will be seeing more of that in this chapter as well. I look forward to your feedback and reviews. Enjoy!

Chapter 11

"Walker, take a look at this." Casey called to her from his computer.

"What is it?" Sarah was by his side in seconds.

"See this blip right here?" Casey pointed to the blinking light on the computer screen. "That's the last known whereabouts of the CIA plane that Chuck was on. According to the satellites, it was on a downward slope, losing altitude at an incredibly fast pace." Casey points to the screen again. "Right here is where it goes off the grid."

"So it did go down?"

"My guess would be yes. According to the coordinates here, they were only about 130 miles out."

General Beckman's face popped up on the large screen. "Lieutenant Walker, Colonel Casey, some new information has come in."

Sarah and Casey turned their attention to the General and both moved closer to the monitor giving Beckman their full attention.

"According to the satellite imaging, the plane Chuck was on did in fact go down. We have located the crash site and I have a team moving in as we speak to secure it. There has been no word yet as to how severe the crash was, or whether or not there are survivors. Walker, I want you and Casey at the crash sight, see what you can find. I'm sending a chopper for you, it should be there in ten minutes or so. Any questions?"

"General, how many people were on the plane?" Casey asked.

"Besides Agent Carmichael, there was one other agent and the pilot on the plane. It was a low key operation. We didn't want to draw too much attention to the intersect." Beckman replied.

"General, do we know why the plane went down? Were they shot down? Was this an intentional attack, or an accident?" Sarah questioned.

"We are still investigating that Lieutenant. I want you to contact me from the crash site and let me know your findings."

Sarah stood motionless, a blank expression on her face as she took in all this information.

"Yes General." Casey chimed in when Sarah failed to answer.

The General disconnected the call. Casey turned his attention to Sarah.

"You okay?" he asked, shaking Sarah from the trance she seemed to be in.

"What?"

"I said, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. We should head out, meet the chopper." Sarah grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair and headed up the stairs. Casey watched her make her exit. Grabbing his own jacket and his gun, Casey did the same.

* * *

"Carmichael?….You okay man?…Chuck?" Agent McKinley shook him when he didn't answer.

Chuck moaned as he came to. "Carmichael, you alright?"

"Uuuhhh…I..think so. Where are we?" Chuck asked, trying to see through the darkness.

"Well, I know we were over California when the plane went down. If I had to guess, I would say maybe 120 miles or so from L.A."

"Great, so now what?"

"Can you walk?" McKinley helped Chuck sit up. Chuck grabbed his side. "Aahhhh!"

"We need to get you to a hospital. The gunshot wound needs to be looked at.'

"You and I both know we can't go to a hospital." Chuck replied. "The Ring knew where I was, they're looking for me.. Don't you see, anyone I come in contact with could be a part of it. For all I know you could be a part of the ring."

"You're right. I could be. But I'm not. Chuck, I know you feel betrayed right now and you don't know who to believe, but you need to trust me. I'm going to help you. I'm going to get you home and we're going to take these guys out."

"I don't really have a choice do I?"

"No, I guess you don't."

* * *

"Did the plane go down or not?" Haz raised his voice as he spoke into his phone. "How did this happen? This was not the plan!.....Find Hansen and Miller, bring them to me when you do."

Haz hung up the phone and tossed it down on the table. He turned his attention back to his computer screen. Haz went to work typing on the keyboard. His screen zoomed in on the coordinates of where the plane was last picked up on the radar.

"Dammitt. This is not how it was supposed to happen." Haz picked his phone up again and dialed a number.

"Yeah, we got a problem." he went on to explain the situation to the person on the other end of the phone. Haz gave them the coordinates. "I want someone down there to check things out. report back to me immediately."

Haz hung up his phone and collapsed back down into his chair. He rubbed his temples, in an effort to stop the migraine he could feel coming on. "Months and months of planning and it comes to this?...Someone's going to pay for this."

* * *

Sarah and Casey arrived on the scene within an hour or so of getting the news. Beckman already had a crew on site. They had extinguished the fire and were going through the rubble when the two had arrived. Sarah and Casey flashed their badges as they approached the scene. Sarah gasped when she saw the wreckage. She couldn't help but notice there were no signs of any survivors.

"Damn." Casey said as they approached the agent who seemed to be in charge of the operation there. "Colonel John Casey." he said approaching the man and flashing his badge once again. "This is Lieutenant Walker. What do we got?" he asked the agent.

"Colonel, Lieutenant, It doesn't look good. When we arrived on scene the whole plane was engulfed in flames. It didn't take us long to put it out. We just started going through the wreckage. We were able to pull the body of the pilot out. His remains were pretty burned up, but we think he may have been shot. There's nothing conclusive yet to back that up though.

"So this was no accident?" Casey asked.

"Sure doesn't look that way."

"According to the General, there were three men on the plane, including the pilot."

"Well, we haven't recovered anymore bodies yet, feel free to look around, just use precautions, it is a crime scene, but you know the drill."

Casey shook his head and released a small acknowledging grunt. Sarah just stood and took in the scene before her. Daylight was approaching allowing more to be seen. the more she saw, the more horrific the scene became.

"You ready for this Walker?" Casey asked.

Sarah's eyes watered, she shook her head. "I can't....I can't do this Casey. I thought it would be okay…I just…can't."

Casey shook his head in agreement. "Yeah...why don't you hang back here. I'll check things out." Sarah nodded. She took a few steps back and watched as Casey joined the team of agents searching through the debris.

About 20 minutes into the search Sarah noticed that several of the agents had zeroed in on one particular piece of the rubble.

"We got something here!" She heard one of the men yell. Sarah watched in anticipation from a distance. She wanted nothing more than to see an alive and well Chuck Bartowski emerge from the wreckage.

Casey joined the other agents as they sifted through the debris. Something shiny caught Casey's eye. He bent down to retrieve it. Casey held the object in his hand and examined it. He recognized it right away. Casey frowned as he tucked it in his pocket.

"Over here." another agent yelled. Casey approached just as they were unveiling a body. The body was burned beyond recognition. Before the men were finished pulling the first body, the second one was discovered.

"We got another one." Casey turned his attention to the other group of men who were digging out yet another charred body.

Casey felt his stomach turn. One of these burned corpses belonged to Chuck. Casey felt sick. He backed away from the wreck just in time. Sarah watched as her partner purged his dinner from the night before. Sarah gasped and her hand flew to cover her mouth, this was not good. She felt sick herself. She paced the ground, waiting for word from Casey. She watched anxiously as he chatted with some fellow agents. They seemed to be deep in conversation.

Finally it appeared as though Casey had wrapped it up and was now slowly making his way towards Sarah. Sarah continued her pacing. She had no idea what to expect from Casey but she had a horrible feeling. Finally he was standing in front of her.

Sarah swallowed hard. "Well?" she asked.

"Sarah…" Casey slowly reached into his pocket to retrieve the item he recovered. Taking her hand in his free one, he held it as he placed the object that belonged to her in it. "I'm sorry."

Sarah looked down to her hand to discover her charm bracelet. The bracelet that Chuck had given her. The same bracelet she had slipped into his coat pocket for good luck when they said goodbye. "No." Sarah shook her head in disbelief. The tears welled in her eyes. "No!!" She screamed at him.

Sarah yanked her hand away from Casey's. She turned her attention back to the wreckage to see several agents placing two corpses into body bags. The tears fell effortlessly, there was no holding them back. "No."

Casey approached her slowly and placed his hand on her shoulder. Sarah shrugged it off. "NO!" Sarah turned to face him "WHY?" Sarah pushed him away. Casey stood there dumbfounded as Sarah wailed on his chest, Casey just stood there and took it. "Why?" Sarah raised her fists to him once again. Casey caught them in his hands before they could make contact with his body.

"Sarah." he started.

"Why?' she sobbed and collapsed into Casey's arms. Casey stood visibly uncomfortable, not knowing what to do next as Sarah cried, burying her face into his chest. Finally Casey hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. "I was supposed to protect him." she cried.

"Sarah, you did everything you could….you did your job…this isn't your fault."

Sarah shook her head as she pulled away from Casey. "No! If I did my job, Chuck would still be alive." She turned from Casey to walk away.

"Sarah!" he called to her, but she just kept walking.

The sun was now high in the sky, illuminating their surroundings. Casey grunted as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He quickly dialed the General and prepared himself to update her on the situation.

* * *

"Come on Carmichael, there's a highway up here." Agent McKinley reassured his fellow agent.

Agent McKinley had bandaged Chuck up the best he could given their circumstances. Doing his best, he managed to at least slow the bleeding from Chuck's gunshot wound but he couldn't stop it completely. The two had been on foot for a few hours now, stumbling around the wooded area, hoping to come across any sign of life. They had been unsuccessful, until now that it is.

"Chuck."

"What?" replied McKinley.

"Call me Chuck. I think we're beyond formalities, wouldn't you say?" Chuck staggered alongside him as the two made their way up an embankment. McKinley extended his hand to him and helped him up a steep portion of the hill.

"I guess you could say that." the older man replied. "You can call me Dan." McKinley stated as the two approached the top of the hill and came to a stop.

"Okay Dan, so what now?" Chuck asked as the two stood now on the side of the highway. Chuck grabbed hold of a tree and rested his body against it.

"We lay low. We can't draw too much attention to ourselves. If Haz knows that we weren't on that plane when it went down then he's going to have his people looking for us. We need to try to catch a ride or something because I don't think you are going to get much further on foot. You need proper medical attention. The only problem with that is we both look like we were in a war zone, all banged up, bruised and bleeding, we need to be careful who we come n contact with."

"Great." Chuck stood up tall and looked down the road both ways. There were no road signs giving any indication as to where they were. "So, which way do we go?" he asked.

"Good question. You pick."

Chuck looked down the road again. He turned to look the other way. "How about this way?" Chuck pointed to his right.

McKinley nodded and the two men started down the side of the highway.

* * *

"Roger that General." Casey hung up his phone and tucked it into his pocket. He turned his attention to Sarah who was about 100 feet from him. She sat underneath a tree, her back to him. With much hesitation Casey approached.

"Walker."

Sarah sat motionless.

"I filled Beckman in on the situation here. She told us to come back in. There's nothing more we can do here. The clean up crew will take it from here. The choppers ready to take us back."

Sarah didn't respond. After a moment or so, silently she stood up and walked towards Casey. "Let's go.' She said as she passed him and headed for the chopper. Casey turned and followed.

As they approached the chopper, Casey was caught off guard by a familiar face.

"Steven's? What the hell are you doing here?" Casey questioned the agent. Sarah gave him her own questioning look.

"Beckman filled us in on the crash, I thought I would check things out, see if you guys needed any help." Steven's replied.

"You're not authorized to be here Steven's!" Sarah snapped at him.

"What's the big deal? You know I'm a part of this team too, why should I have to miss out on all the action?"

"Steven's you are a secondary field agent, I give the orders here. _My _team consisted of three agents and you're not one of them. I'm ordering you to return to your base immediately!" Sarah replied.

Steven's stood there for a moment a surprised expression on his face.

"This is ridiculous! I've never seen an operation run so poorly in my life, no wonder your asset is dead!"

Casey quickly stepped between Sarah and Agent Steven's before Sarah had a chance to react. "That's enough Stevens, You heard the Lieutenant. You're dismissed." Casey stared him down and after a few moments Agent Stevens backed down.

"Whatever." Stevens replied before turning to walk back to his car.

Casey watched him leave then turned to face Sarah who appeared to be in a daze.

"Let's get out of here Walker." Casey placed his hand on her arm to give her a nudge and the two of them boarded the helicopter.

Sarah stared out the window as the chopper took flight. She felt her stomach turn as she took in the full scene below. The smoke, the wreckage, the agents on the ground. It was all too much. Sarah leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. She had seen enough today to last her a lifetime.

* * *

"I gotta….I gotta stop." Chuck gasped as he tried to catch his breath. Everything was really starting to take it's toll on him. He sat himself down on a large boulder.

"You doing okay?" Dan asked as he moved towards Chuck.

"Yeah, I just need to sit for a few minutes."

"Damn, you're bleeding through." Dan pointed to the large red stain that seeped through Chuck's shirt. Dan ripped part of his shirt sleeve off and went to work adjusting Chuck's bandages, hoping to control the bleeding.

"How far do you think we've gone?" Chuck asked.

"I don't know, maybe 6 miles or so."

"I can't believe not a single car has passed by. Not even a road sign to give us any indication as to where the hell we are!"

"Relax Chuck, Getting all worked up isn't going to help us."

"Don't get worked up? How can I not get worked up Dan? The ring knows who I am, they know I'm the intersect. When they don't find my body, they're going to know I'm out here somewhere. They'll do whatever it takes to get to me. My family and friends are in danger. I need to get to my team, I need to get to Sarah."

"We will Chuck, but we need to get you medical attention."

'That can wait. My brother in law is a doctor, he can fix me up when I get home, assuming we ever get home."

"Alright, well let's get a move on then." McKinley extended his hand to Chuck to help him up. Chuck slowly came to his feet. "Dan!" Chuck motioned to the road ahead of them. A beat up old, red pickup truck was headed in their direction.

"Okay, just play it cool, let me do the talking." The two men turned their attention to the oncoming vehicle. They waved their arms in the air, desperate to flag the truck down. The truck slowed as it approached and eventually came to a stop alongside the road. The two men approached hesitantly.

"You fellas okay? You look like you've been in some kind of accident or something." The driver of the truck stated.

"A deer ran out in front of us a few miles down the road. We swerved to miss it and our car went off the road and struck a tree." McKinley informed him.

"You fellas need to call the cops, get a tow truck out here?"

"No, actually, we're not ever sure where here is. Can you tell us where we are?" McKinley asked.

"You don't know where you are?" the driver of the truck questioned.

"No, we're not from around here. We were just passing through, then the whole thing with the car…can you tell me where we are?" Chuck stood behind McKinley as he spoke with the man behind the wheel of the pickup.

"Well we're just outside the town of Unionville."

"Unionville?" McKinley asked.

"Yeah Unionville. It's a small town about 40 minutes from San Bernardino."

"Sir do you think that you could give us a ride?"

"Well, I'm only headed into town, but I'll take you as far as I'm going." the driver stated.

"That would be great. You mind if we just climb in the back of your truck?"

The man motioned with his head for Dan and Chuck to climb into the back. The two men climbed up, settled in, and the three were off.

* * *

Sarah and Casey were back at Castle by late that afternoon. The two began preparing their reports for General Beckman. They worked diligently for the next two hours; the silence in the room was deafening. Casey finally spoke up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked out of nowhere catching Sarah off guard.

She shook her head 'no' and continued to work on her report.

"Want to order some food or something?"

"I'm not hungry, but you go ahead."

"Why don't you go home Walker, take the rest of the night off? I can handle it from here."

"Casey, it's fine!…really." She replied.

Sarah no sooner got the words out and the General popped up on the monitor.

"Lieutenant, Colonel, I'm waiting anxiously for your reports." She stated as the two approached the screen.

"We were just about to fax them over General." Casey replied.

"Very well then."

Beckman was about to disconnect when Casey interjected.

"General, any new information?"

" Nothing too significant. My agents have been unable to recover the black box from the aircraft. We were able to determine that the pilot on the plane took a bullet to the back of the head. The other bodies we have not been able to identify as of yet; however, being that there were only three individuals on the plane to begin with and there were three bodies recovered, it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together."

"General." Sarah spoke up. "Who would have shot the pilot? The agent that was escorting Chuck back to L.A, was he an undercover ring operative?"

"I don't know Lieutenant, we are still investigating this. The recovered bodies have been taken to a lab for further examining. Right now our best bet is to find that black box, it might give us some indication as to what went on on that plane."

"General, I have some serious concerns that you have undercover ring members on your team there. They can't be trusted."

"Lieutenant Walker, are you trying to tell me that I am working with double agents? That I am so naive that I wouldn't know a ring operative if I came across one?"

"General, anyone could be a part of the ring. If we have learned nothing from all this, I would like to think that at least that is abundantly clear." Sarah responded.

"General, with all due respect, Walker is right. Anyone could be a part of this organization at this point. We need to at least consider that." Casey stated.

"Very well, I will personally see to it that my agents are all put through an extensive screening process in hopes of drawing out anyone who might be affiliated with the ring. Is there anything else?"

"Yes General there is." Sarah responded. " I would like Agent Stevens removed from this mission."

"And why is that Lieutenant?" Beckman questioned.

"General, he constantly defies orders, he does not do well with authority figures, particularly women in authority. He is a liability."

"General, the guy is a loose cannon. He just doesn't fit on this team." Casey chimed in.

"I will take your concerns into consideration when I am doing my reviews, but until then, he will remain on the team." Beckman didn't even give Sarah or Casey the chance to protest before signing off.

Sarah shook her head. "She is ridiculous! How many times do you have to be right about something for her to actually listen?"

"Don't worry, I don't foresee Stevens remaining here much longer. The kid's gonna screw up big time sooner or later." Casey tried to reassure her.

"Let's just hope no one gets hurt when he does."

Casey grunted in agreement.

"I'm going to call it a day here, can you fax these reports to Beckman?" Sarah asked as she slipped on her black leather jacket.

"Sure."

"Thanks." Sarah replied as she made her exit.

Sarah didn't even make it to her car before the tears started to fall. She had to get out of here. Everything reminded her of him. Sarah turned on the engine, she was caught off guard by the music making its way from her speakers. It was a cd that Chuck had made for her. Sarah was never much of a music fan, and Chuck wanted to change that. He was constantly making her discs of what he considered to be great music and Sarah humored him by accepting his gifts. This last CD he made her was different though. It was all songs that "reminded him of her", that's how he had worded it. Sarah loved the cd and listened to it almost nonstop in the car ever since Chuck had left for his training. She played it when she was missing him at night and couldn't sleep. It was a comfort for her, but right now, it was pure agony. Sarah reached for the dial and turned it off. Pressing her foot to the floor, she sped out of the parking lot.

* * *

"So what's the plan once we get to town?" Chuck asked his companion in the back of the pickup truck.

Chuck no sooner said this and the truck hit a pothole. Chuck groaned and held his side.

"What's next is we get you to a hospital." Dan replied taking in the scene before him.

"No, I told you, my brother in law will take care of me when I get home."

"Chuck, you're getting weaker, you've lost a lot of blood, you have a bullet lodged inside of you, the more you move around, the greater the risk of it moving, It needs to be removed." Dan pleaded.

"I know that Dan, so lets just figure out a way to get home so I can have it taken care of."

"Fine, but you need to at least let me change that dressing. If there's a hospital in town, I can sneak in and get some supplies. Then we figure out how to get to L.A. the best way would be for us to secure a vehicle and just drive there ourselves."

"Okay. How long do you think it will take us to get back once we secure a vehicle?"

"Once we have a vehicle, maybe a couple hours, but we have to get one first."

Chuck sighed in frustration. He was in pain, much more than he was letting on and the only thing he wanted was to see Sarah. To hold her in his arms, kiss her and profess his undying love for her. He needed to feel close to her right now, to forget the distance that separated them. Chuck reached into his pant pocket hoping to find some comfort in Sarah's charm bracelet. Chuck panicked when he reached into his pocket and found it empty. He frantically checked his other pocket in search of the item.

"What is it?" Dan asked him as he continued his search for the missing object.

"It's gone!" Chuck exclaimed.

"What's gone?"

"Sarah's bracelet. It was…it was in my pocket on the plane…It's gone."

"Calm down Chuck, it's just a bracelet."

"It's not just a bracelet Dan. It's so much more for us."

"Chuck, if it came down to Sarah either losing the bracelet or losing you, I'm willing to bet that she would let the bracelet go. You are alive, that is what matters."

Chuck sighed once again. "Yeah." he replied before leaning his head back against the cab of the truck and closing his eyes.

Several minutes had passed and Chuck had not moved from the position he was in.

McKinley couldn't help but notice the truck's speed decreasing, they appeared to be coming to a town.

"Looks like we're almost there." he mentioned to Chuck. Chuck opened his eyes and looked around. Dan observed him carefully, he was not doing well.

The truck pulled into the parking lot of a small town hardware store and came to a stop. The driver of the truck got out and made his way around the back of the truck to greet his two passengers.

"Well fellas, this is my stop."

Dan and chuck emerged from the truck.

"There's a police station across the street here. And if you take a left out of the parking lot here, you'll see a seven eleven. There's a hospital about a half mile down the road if you want to get those cuts and bruises looked at. Your friend here looks like maybe he could use a doctor. He's pretty pale." The man motioned to Chuck.

"Yeah, we just may do that. Thank you very much for the ride sir." McKinley extended his hand to the man as they said their goodbyes. McKinley wrapped an arm around Chuck's waist and threw Chuck's arm over his shoulder for support as the two started back on foot towards the hospital.

"I…I..can walk..Dan." Chuck mumbled as he groaned in pain.

"Of Course you can Chuck, I'm just trying to save time here and get us to the hospital as soon as possible."

"I'm not going the hospital Dan…I'm going…home."

"I know Chuck, I'm going to sneak in and get some supplies for you, remember?"

"Huh…oh…yeah."

The two continued to stagger down the road, the small town hospital well within their sights.

* * *

After a long grueling day, Casey had finally made his way home. He tossed his keys down on the table and headed for his cupboard where he retrieved a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Casey made his way to the living room. He placed the bottle and glass on the coffee table in front of him and settled into his chair. Casey filled his glass with whiskey and downed it in one gulp. He released a sigh and leaned back resting his head on the back of the chair and he allowed the events of the day to sink in. It had been a horrible day, not just for Sarah, but for Casey as well. He lost a member of his team today. Sure he had been hard on Chuck, he teased him mercilessly, but he wouldn't have given the kid the time of day had he not cared about him. Casey poured himself another glass of whiskey. Just as he brought the glass to his lips there was a knock at the door. Casey set the glass back down on the table.

"Who the hell could that be?" Casey muttered as he made his way to the door. Casey peaked through the peephole and was surprised when he saw Agent Erin Malloy standing there.

Casey opened the door to greet her.

"Erin! What are you doing here? Did we have plans tonight?" Casey asked.

"No John, I just…I heard about the plane crash…I just I thought…are you okay?" She asked, the concern evident in her voice.

Casey didn't even know what to say to her. John Casey does not share feelings, who the hell did this girl think she was coming over to his place and asking him questions like this.

"What happened today was unfortunate, but it's the job. We do what we need to do for our country and hope that along the way no one gets hurt. Sometimes it works to our advantage and other times it doesn't."

Casey stood before her, a cold expression on his face, but she was pretty sure she could see a tear forming in his eye. He struggled to hold it back.

"John, that doesn't make it hurt any less."

Erin stepped through the doorway and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled him in close and held him tightly against her small frame. "It's okay to feel something." She whispered against his chest.

"I don't know how." he replied as his arms came down around her. "I…forgot how."

"Let me help you." She pulled away from him enough to look at him. The tear he had struggled to hold back was now making it's way down his cheek. She reached up and wiped it away with her thumb. Leaning up she left a small kiss in it's place.

* * *

Sarah had driven around for hours. Eventually she had found herself sitting on the beach watching the sunset. It was their special spot and right now all she wanted was to feel close to him. If she closed her eyes she could almost feel his arms around her, reminiscent of their last morning together.

"_Good morning." Chuck said with a smile._

_She looked up at him. "Hi." was her response as she pulled herself to a sitting position. Chuck did the same. Sarah crossed her arms across her chest in an attempt to warm herself up. "What time is it?" She asked, not really wanting to know the answer._

_Chuck glanced down at his wrist. "Almost 7." he replied. "You're shivering." He said as he grabbed the blanket laying in the sand next to them. "Come here." _

_Sarah moved closer to him and he pulled her into his lap and wrapped the blanket around them. Sarah immediately felt warm in his embrace. "Better?" he asked as he leaned down to her, his lips grazed the side of her head._

"_Much." she said settling into him._

"_How'd you sleep last night?" He leaned down once again and trailed a few kisses down her neck._

_Sarah closed her eyes to fully enjoy the sensation of his lips as they made contact with her skin. "Mmmm….I slept well." She replied. "You?" she asked turning her head to look at him._

"_Like a baby." He replied._

_The two sat in silence for a while, just enjoying being in each other's arms as they looked out at the ocean, watching the sunrise, neither of them wanting to acknowledge what the day would bring._

"_Do you remember the last time we sat in this very spot watching the sunrise?" he asked finally breaking the silence._

_Sarah turned in his arms to face him, a look of confusion on her face followed by one of recognition as it finally dawned on her as her mind drifted back to that morning two years ago. It was the morning after their first "date." Chuck had just found out that a super computer known as the intersect, which contained all the government's secrets had been uploaded into his brain thanks to his one time best friend and old college roommate, Bryce Larkin. _

"_I remember." she replied as she settled back into his arms._

"_Do you remember what you asked me to do that morning?" Chuck grazed her temple with his lips. He inhaled deeply taking in her scent._

"_Of course…I asked you to trust me." she replied._

"_And I do Sarah. I trust you .…You are the only person I trust completely…Sarah…it's my turn now to ask you to do something for me?"_

"_Hmmm?" she replied._

"_Wait for me?" His request caught her off guard. How could he think she wouldn't wait for him? Sarah pulled away from his warm embrace and turned to face him once again._

"_Chuck." she started but didn't get out much of anything else before he interrupted her as usual._

"_Sarah I know it's a lot to ask, It's just I don't know how long I'll be gone and I'm sure guys ask you out all the time, I mean look at you, I just…now that we finally have the go ahead to pursue this, I just…I'd hate for anything to come between us before we get that chance. I wish I didn't have to leave, but if my leaving for a while means we can be together…" Chuck rambled on. Sarah smiled and did the only thing she could think of to shut him up. She leaned in pressed her lips against his, catching him off guard. It wasn't long before he was kissing her back and the two were engaged in a tender, passionate lip lock. A moment later the two parted lips, breathless as they gazed into one another's eyes._

"_Chuck." his name escaped her lips._

"_Yeah?" was all he could say his eyes fell to her lips, hungry to taste their sweetness once again._

"_I've waited two years for you, I think I can wait a little bit longer." She smiled up at him. The two moved in closer once again closing the distance between them._

Sarah opened her eyes as the memory began to fade. She promised him she would wait for him and she did. But he never said he might not be coming back. That was never part of the plan. Sarah wiped at the tears that trailed down her cheeks.

Sarah toyed with the charm bracelet that she held tightly in her hand. She thought back to the day that Chuck had given it to her. No one had ever given her anything so personal before. No one had ever cared about her enough to do so.

"_This is something you give a real girlfriend she had told him."_

But he didn't care. He had wanted her to have it and he wouldn't take no for answer.

Sarah slipped the bracelet on her wrist as the memories continued to plague her.

_Sarah and Chuck strolled the beach hand in hand. They had both decided to remove their shoes early on. Sarah loved the feel of the sand between her toes. "What a beautiful night. Have you ever seen so many stars in the sky?" They had come to a stop so Sarah could take in the view._

_Chuck couldn't help but stare. The moonlight cast a glow upon her face like nothing he had ever seen before and he was mesmerized by her beauty._

_Sarah turned her attention to Chuck when he failed to respond to her question, only to catch him staring at her._

"_What? Do I have ice cream on my face or something?" Sarah wiped at her face and Chuck laughed._

"_No, not at all…I just…I've never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life. Sarah….you take my breath away." Chuck moved in to brush a few strands of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered longer than necessary and slowly made it's way down her cheek. She lost herself in the depths of his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. She suddenly found it very hard to breathe at that moment. _

_Sarah and Chuck found themselves being pulled closer and closer together until they were mere inches apart. Chuck's gaze fell to Sarah's lips, they looked so inviting and if he closed his eyes he could almost taste their sweetness. _

_Sarah's eyes drifted to Chuck's lips, she wanted nothing more at that moment then to feel them pressed tightly against hers, moving in sync with the pounding of their hearts and their labored breaths, igniting a fire neither of them could put out._

_Sarah placed her hand at the nape of Chuck's neck and brought him in closer to her. His hands simultaneously moved to her waist and together they closed the gap between them. Their lips met briefly before devouring one another. Chuck's hands moved frantically up Sarah's back pulling her closer to him if that was even possible. Sarah ran her fingers through Chuck's curly locks urgently as their tongues danced with one another in a desperate plea not to let go. _

_After several minutes of passionate kisses and desire filled embraces, the couple's need for air eventually outweighed their need for one another and their lips parted slowly as they tried to catch their breath. _

_Chuck held her close to him, his heart was beating so hard he thought that it might actually explode. Sarah held on to him tightly, afraid to let go, afraid if she did, she may never experience the warmth of his embrace again. _

_A few minutes later the two were finally able to catch their breath. Chuck pressed his lips softly against her forehead. She looked up at him and a single tear made it's way down her cheek. Chuck gently brushed it away with his thumb._

"_How am I going to say goodbye to you?" he asked before resting his forehead against hers. Sarah did the only thing she could. She pulled him into a tight embrace and held on for dear life._

Sarah wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them tightly to her chest. She wiped the tears from her eyes and buried her face into her knees. The sun had set and darkness had taken over. The moon and the stars her only source of light. Sarah's body rocked in sync with the soothing sound of the waves as they crashed against the shore.

Sarah was startled when her cell phone rang. She reached inside her coat pocket to retrieve it. Looking at the screen Sarah saw Ellie's name pop up. Sarah didn't think it was possible but at that very moment her heart sunk even further. How would she ever be able to tell Ellie that Chuck was gone? They lost him and he was never coming back.

_**Hope you enjoyed it. I look forward to your feedback. Thanks for reading.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments. I am so happy you are all enjoying my story and I hope you continue to enjoy it.**_

**Chapter 12**

Chuck sat motionless, propped up against a dumpster in the alleyway next to the hospital, hid away from the public eye. Darkness was setting in and it had been some time now that Dan had left him to go find medical supplies. Chuck was beginning to wonder if maybe Dan had been captured by the Ring and he had debated with himself several times whether he should go in after him or not. Chuck had even tried on more than one occasion to do just that, but with his injuries he was having a difficult time working up the energy he needed. Chuck drifted in and out of consciousness as he continued to wait for Agent McKinley to return.

"Chuck?" McKinley gave him a shake as he knelt down beside him.

"Chuck?" he gave him another jolt. This time causing Chuck to stir.

"Hmm." Chuck opened his eyes, he strained them as they adjusted to the night sky.

"You doing okay?" McKinley asked.

"Yeah….I… thought..maybe you got caught." Chuck replied.

"No, it just took longer than I expected….Here…drink this." Dan unscrewed the top off of a bottle of water and handed it to Chuck. "I was able to get us some bottles of water and some cracker packets. Sorry it's not more, it's all I could get."

Chuck took the bottle from him. As weak as he was, it was a struggle for him to bring the bottle to his lips. Despite his weakened state he was able to take a small swig from the bottle before his arm dropped back down to his side. Dan took the bottle from him before all of it's contents spilled out onto the concrete.

"I need to change your dressings Chuck." Dan went to work removing the old dressings that were completely drenched in blood now. Dan strained to see what he was doing. Fortunately there was enough light coming from the street lights to allow him to see enough to do what he needed to do.

"I'm…losing a…lot of…blood Dan." Chuck noticed the blood soaked bandages that Dan had removed.

"It's not that bad Chuck." Dan tried to sound convincing.

"Dan…if I…don't make it…"

"Chuck you're going to make it." McKinley didn't let him finish.

"Dan!…Please…you have to…find Sarah..please…tell her…I..love her…promise me?"

"Chuck, you're going to be fine."

"Promise..me?" Chuck asked once again.

"I promise, I'll tell her Chuck."

Chuck nodded. "Good."

Chuck groaned as Dan applied heavy pressure to his wound in an attempt to control the bleeding. After finally slowing the bleeding once again, Dan packed the wound and wrapped it securely.

"Chuck you need to put this on. Take what's left of your shirt off." Dan pulled out a heavy hooded sweatshirt.

"Where did you.. get that?" Chuck asked. Dan couldn't help but notice that Chuck's breathing seemed to be a little more labored now.

"I stole it from the locker room." Chuck just realized that Dan too was in different clothes. Clean clothes that weren't torn and stained with blood and dirt.

"And I got you these." Dan pulled out a small piece of card board, containing 4 pills attached to it.

Chuck gave him a questioning look. "What… are those?" he finally asked.

"Vicadin. It's all I could find in a hurry." Dan popped two of the pills out of their bubble and placed them in Chuck's hand. "Here. Take them."

Chuck sighed before finally popping the two pills in his mouth. Dan handed him his bottle of water and he took another swig.

"Now what?" He asked.

"Now, I go find us a car so we can get out here. I'm going to scope out the parking lot over here. You just sit tight. Drink your water, I'll be back in a few."

"Sure….I'll just..sit tight." Chuck replied as McKinley made his way out of sight.

* * *

The dreadful, piercing, buzzing noise, radiating from her alarm clock sent Sarah into a rage. She emerged from underneath her covers, grabbed the noisy device from her night stand and threw it across the room. The clock shattered to pieces when it hit the wall.

Sarah smirked when she saw the pieces scatter to the floor, followed by silence. She laid back down and pulled the covers up over her head.

Sarah couldn't even remember coming home last night. The last thing she remembered was sitting on the beach watching the sun set. Ellie had called her twice but Sarah had ignored the calls. She just couldn't talk to her right now. She wouldn't even know what to say to her. The past 24 hours had been unbearable for Sarah. She had gone from overwhelming joy and happiness over the prospect of Chuck returning home, to pure devastation and pain over the loss she was now experiencing. A pain no one should ever have to suffer. And just when she thought she couldn't possibly shed another tear over her loss, she found them making their way down her face once again.

* * *

Casey had arrived at Castle a little earlier this morning than usual. He wasn't quite sure what to expect today. He thought he might find Sarah there when he arrived and was actually surprised to find that she hadn't arrived yet.

Casey sifted through the reports from yesterday, looking for anything they may have missed. He worked diligently for the next two hours and came up with nothing. Casey glanced at his watch, it was almost 11:00am and Sarah had still not arrived. Casey pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. Casey grunted when it went right to voice mail.

"Colonel Casey any new developments on your end this morning?" General Beckman appeared on the large monitor.

"Nothing new General. I've been going over the reports from yesterday, thinking we missed something, but I can't find anything."

"Has Lieutenant Walker had any luck?" the General asked.

"Umm…Walker…No, not that I'm aware of."

"Speaking of Walker, where is she?" Beckman questioned.

"Walker, she….uh, she's a bit under the weather…this morning." Casey muttered, hoping the General would just accept his excuse and leave it at that.

"Under the weather? That's no excuse Colonel. We just lost the most important piece of intelligence in the world, There is much work to be done. Protocol that needs to be followed. Lieutenant Walker is heading up this project, so unless she is on her death bed I expect her to be here."

"General, with all due respect, yes we just lost the world's most important piece of intelligence in the world, but it's a little more than that for her."

Beckman sighed. "Yes well, life goes on Colonel. Walker has a job to do and I expect her to do it. I'll let this whole thing go this morning given the circumstances, but I expect her back in action by this afternoon. Find her Casey." Beckman ordered before signing off and disconnecting the call.

Casey grunted. "Sometimes this job really sucks." He grabbed his jacket and headed out of castle in search of Sarah.

* * *

" I can't believe… you… stole a car… that… only had a quarter… tank of gas in it!" Chuck exclaimed as Dan brought the vehicle to a stop in a supermarket parking lot.

"How was I supposed to know there was only a quarter tank gas in it." Dan replied.

"So now what? …We… steal another car?" Chuck coughed and Dan couldn't help but notice he seemed to be wheezing as well.

"Pretty much. But first we need to wipe this one down. Get rid of any trace of our being here. I'm talking prints, clothes, DNA of any kind. Anything that the police could trace back to us."

Dan went to work cleaning the car. He moved quickly but efficiently. Once he was done, he and Chuck grabbed all of their belongings from the car and exited it, being sure to wipe down the door handles in the process.

"This way Chuck." Dan motioned for him to follow him. Chuck staggered behind him. He seemed to be moving a little quicker and appeared to be in a lot less pain since he took the pain killers Dan had secured for him at the hospital. Unfortunately by this time he had taken them all and until Chuck received some medical attention, there was no way for them to get any more.

The two men made their way to the back of the parking lot, towards a dark blue Camaro. Dan approached the driver's side door. He pulled a small wire like tool from his pocket and went to work opening the door. Once inside he opened the passenger side door and Chuck hopped in alongside of him. It didn't take Dan long to hot wire the car and before they knew it the two were back on the road.

* * *

Standing before her door, Casey brought his hand up, he hesitated briefly before knocking on her door.

There was no answer.

"Walker?" he called out before knocking once again.

Still there was no answer.

Casey reached for the doorknob and tried to open the door. The handle turned and the door opened slowly. It wasn't like Sarah to leave her door unlocked. No agent in their right mind would ever leave themselves that vulnerable to the outside world, but then again, Sarah wasn't exactly in her right mind right now.

Casey peeked inside. The shattered pieces from Sarah's alarm clock on the floor immediately caught his eye, sending him into spy mode. Casey quickly drew his gun and slowly proceeded through the doorway. He moved in closer to get a better look at the remnants of the clock on the floor. Nothing else appeared to be out of place that would indicate any kind of attack.

"Sarah?" he called out to her, looking for any signs of his partner. He turned his attention to the mound of blankets on her bed and made his way over to them.

"Sarah?" he called out again as he approached them. Reaching out with his free hand, he grabbed hold of the blanket and pulled at it, revealing a sleeping Sarah.

"Sarah!" he called out again, waking her from her slumber.

"Casey?…What are you doing here?" She grumbled as she tugged at the covers and pulled them back over her again.

"Walker, it's almost noon. Beckman is expecting an update from you. She wants it this afternoon. She wasn't very happy with your absence this morning."

Sarah threw down her covers and shot Casey a disgusted look. "An update? What the hell is there to update her on? Beckman can kiss my ass!"

"Yeah." Casey sighed and sat himself down on the edge of Sarah's bed.

Sarah laid back down and stared up at the ceiling.

"Look Sarah,… yesterday…was horrible for everyone, more so for you… I get that…." Sarah refused to break her connection with ceiling. Her eyes remained fixated on one spot in particular directly above her head.

"Chuck would hate to see you like this…He was a good guy, our partner…I'm going to do whatever it takes to find Haz… Make him pay…I owe Chuck at least that… but I need your help Sarah. You're my partner, all I have left…I need your help…for Chuck.

Another tear made it's way down Sarah's cheek. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

"He never wanted this life. He didn't deserve this."

"I know." Casey replied. "Let's make this right for him Sarah."

"Nothing we do can make this right Casey."

"Yeah…but we have to try Sarah…Don't we owe him that much?"

Sarah wiped at her eyes and Casey stared down at the floor. They remained in silence for a few more minutes.

"I need to take a shower." Sarah finally spoke up. "I'll meet you at castle."

Casey just nodded. He stood from the bed. "I'll see you at castle." he said making his way to the door. Sarah watched him leave.

Forcing herself to get up, Sarah made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the water in the shower and shed herself of her clothes. Not even caring what the temperature of the water was Sarah stepped into the shower, allowing the water to rain over her. Sarah would get ready, go to work, go through all the motions, shut her feelings off. That's what an agent did. She would mask her emotions, it was a reality she had become accustomed to whether she wanted to or not. Sure she could wash away the tears, but she would never be able to wash away the pain.

* * *

Haz watched his surveillance video. He was able to plant a small camera and another bug at the Orange Orange, the day before when he had disguised himself as an elderly patron of the yogurt shop.

Haz had watched Colonel Casey enter the yogurt shop and proceed into the freezer to enter castle. Half an hour or so later he witnessed a very somber looking Lieutenant Walker do the same.

Grabbing his phone, Haz dialed a familiar number.

"Yeah?" the voice on the other end answered.

"There's a new plan." Haz informed his operative on the phone. "Like I said before if I can't have my intersect, someone is going to pay and I know just who it will be." Haz chuckled into the phone. "Meet me at headquarters in an hour to go over the plan."

"Yes sir." the man on the phone replied before hanging up.

* * *

"Lieutenant Walker, I assume you are feeling better. "General Beckman stated as she greeted her agents once again.

"Oh yes General, I feel much better now." Sarah replied overly sarcastic which did not go unnoticed by the General who in turn gave her a disapproving look.

Glancing at his partner, Casey chimed in before a fight broke put between the two.

"General, anything new to report?" he asked.

Beckman turned her attention to Casey. "As a matter of fact Colonel there is."

Both Sarah and Casey gave the General their full attention. "We have reason to believe that Haz is on the move. We believe he has set up a new base somewhere in L.A. We're not sure if he was waiting for the intersect to return or if he was only setting up a temporary base while he put his plan in motion to take the intersect out."

"Any idea where this base is located General?" Casey questioned.

"No, but that is what I want you to find out. This is Agent Simon Burke." A picture of a young man in his late 20's appeared on the screen before them. He had light brown hair, big brown eyes, a distinguished smile and actually appeared to be quite handsome. "He's ex-CIA, spent a couple years with Fulcrum and is now a known Ring operative. There's a governor's luncheon taking place tomorrow at the Bellagio Hotel. Burke will be there. I want you two to attend. Walker get close to Burke by any means necessary. He has a fascination for pretty blondes, so use that to your advantage. Burke may very well be the key to finding Haz."

"General, these luncheons don't usually accept walk-ins" Casey responded.

"The luncheon is by invitation only. Yours are en route to you as we speak, along with the information for your covers. Good luck agents." Beckman ended the conversation abruptly and disconnected the call.

"Always so pleasant isn't she?" Casey stated before heading back over to his computer.

Sarah didn't say a word she just went back to the file she had been reading before their debriefing with the general.

* * *

The two men had waited nearly an hour for nightfall. Chuck was happy to see the familiar scenery as the two hid out of sight outside of Chuck's apartment.

"Are you sure about this Chuck?" Dan asked the weak man by his side.

"We need it…it's the..only way…in." Chuck replied.

"Where is it again?"

"Bottom drawer…of my..dresser….left ..side…tucked under…some..shirts in the back." Chuck coughed, this time bringing up a small amount of blood.

Dan looked more concerned than ever. "Alright, I'm going now, we can't wait any longer Chuck." Dan pulled the hood from his sweatshirt up over his head and exited the car.

"Dan!" Chuck called out to him.

"Yeah?"

"Go in…through…the window."

Dan nodded and headed towards Chuck's apartment. Careful to stay out of view of the security cameras Chuck had pointed out to him.

Chuck waited patiently for Dan to return to the car. The pain was becoming excruciating for him. Glancing down at his wound, he noticed the blood starting to seep through once again. Chuck closed his eyes and said a silent prayer, not for himself, but for Sarah. He prayed that he would get to her in time. There was so much he wanted to say to her. And if God forbid he didn't survive all this. He at least wanted to say goodbye for her sake. She had been so shut off from love, from feeling anything when she had lost her one time partner and former lover Bryce Larkin. The last thing Chuck wanted was to see her revert back to that Sarah. The Sarah that didn't feel. Robot Sarah.

Chuck was shaken from his thoughts when the driver's side door flung open. Dan jumped inside behind the wheel.

"Did you..get it?" Chuck asked waiting in anticipation.

Dan reached under his shirt and pulled out the wrist computer that Chuck's father had given him. "What do you do with this thing anyway?" he asked handing it to Chuck.

"You'll see." Chuck strapped it on his wrist. "Now we..can..get into…castle."

McKinley started the car and put it in drive.

"Take out ….of here…then a…right onto the …highway….it's not far."

Chuck went to work on the computer as Dan drove.

* * *

"Beckman's courier just dropped off our package." Casey said tossing the box down on the table where Sarah sat. "Invitation is in there, along with our new ID's. We are Clara and James Sinclair II, Son and daughter in-law of James and Elaine Sinclair; a couple of rich socialites, big beneficiaries of the Governor. They will not be in attendance tomorrow due to a prior engagement and have opted to send their son and his new bride in their place. Getting in will be a piece of cake.

"Great." Sarah replied without giving it much thought and went back to work.

"Have you eaten anything today? I was thinking about ordering a pizza."

"I'm not hungry." She replied not even looking up this time.

"Walker, are you going to be able to complete this mission tomorrow?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She glanced up at him.

"You just don't seem to have your head in the game. Like you're not focused on the mission."

"Not focused! Casey I am nothing but focused on this mission. I have been studying these reports for hours now. How can you say I'm not focused?"

Before Casey could respond. The lights went out. The back-up generator quickly switched on, supplying them with enough light to maneuver.

"What the..?

"Security's down." Casey stated as he played with the computer. "All our surveillance is out."

"You think someone's trying to infiltrate Castle?" Sarah asked.

"Well, this is state of the art equipment we're working with, it doesn't just shut itself down. Come on." Casey pulled his gun as he made his way to the door. Sarah did the same. The door controls were jammed and Casey had to work hard to try to open it manually. "Cover me Walker." He said giving the door one final tug. Sarah stood ready gun cocked ready to fire if necessary.

As the door flung open two hooded figures stood in their path.

"Freeze!" Sarah yelled out as she pointed her gun directly at them. One of the men took a step forward into the light.

"Sarah." he managed to get out as he took another step forward before collapsing into her unexpecting arms.

"Chuck!" She cried out in disbelief as she struggled to hold his now unconscious body up. Dan rushed to her side and grabbed hold of Chuck and propped him back up throwing Chuck's arm over his shoulder and wrapping his own arm securely around his waist to support him.

"Chuck? You're alive." Sarah cried. Casey looked on in disbelief.

**Hope you enjoyed! I look forward to your feedback. Thanks for reading..**

_**Spoilers for Chapter 13: **_An unexpected surprise for Colonel Casey and of course a Charah reunion.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, I realize it has been a long wait, but this is my longest chapter yet! 23 pages. I hope you are all still interested. Please let me know what you think. Your reviews and feedback are what keep me writing. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 13**

Sarah and Dan moved Chuck to the bunker in the back of Castle where all the medical supplies were kept and laid him down on the exam table.

"Careful." Agent McKinley instructed as they eased him down. "He's been shot and he has several broken ribs from a previous attack."

"How did this Happen? Who are you?" Sarah questioned.

"I was escorting Agent Carmichael back from the CIA training facility in DC. We were attacked in the air. Chuck took a bullet. The plane had been sabotaged and was going to crash we had to jump…. you must be Sarah."

"Lieutenant Walker." She corrected him. "And you are?" It was obvious she had her guard up. Sarah turned her attention to Chuck and immediately went to work examining his wounds.

Casey stared at McKinley taking in his features, but it was his eyes that really seemed to call out to him.

"Sorry about that." He extended his hand to Sarah. "Agent Dan McKinley, CIA. I've been working closely with Chuck during his training the past few months." Casey gasped and Dan turned his attention to him. Casey appeared to be glaring at him now. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Dan said extending his hand to Casey.

Casey approached him, circling him as he stared him down. He looked as though he was about to pounce on him.

"I guess you don't recognize me.?" Casey shot back at him, causing Sarah to turn her attention away from Chuck and back to the other two men in the room. Casey looked angry, beyond angry.

"Casey, what is it?" Sarah stepped in.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Dan asked, obviously confused by Casey's behavior.

"I guess you don't recognize me. Course I can't say I blame you, it has been quite some time now. My name is Colonel John Casey with the NSA. YOUR SON!!!"

Sarah's mouth dropped as she watched the interaction between the two. McKinley looked at Casey in disbelief. He hadn't seen his son John in well over 20 years. In fact the last time he saw him, he was a young boy and Dan was being called away on a mission. A mission that would inevitably destroy his marriage and his family as he knew it.

"Johnny?" Dan's hand came up to cover his mouth and a tear began to form in the corner of his eye. "Is it really you?" Dan took a step towards Casey who backed away in response.

"Stop! Don't come any closer." Casey ordered, one hand resting on his gun, ready to remove it from its holster.

"John…" Dan tried to plead.

"You can call me Colonel." Casey responded.

"Look I know you're angry with me, it's been so long.."

"26 years 7months and 84 days to be exact, but who's keeping track."

"John please.."

"Colonel! You don't get to address me by my first name. You gave up that right a long time ago."

"Alright guys, that's enough." Sarah said stepping between the two. "Your reunion here is going to have to wait. We need to deal with Chuck right now. He needs a doctor."

McKinley turned his attention back to Chuck.

"I wanted to take him to a hospital, but he refused medical treatment, he was afraid the ring would find him. He said the only ones he could trust were his handlers back home. Chuck said to have you call his brother in-law. That he's a doctor."

"Great we'll handle things from here. You're dismissed Agent McKinley." Casey interjected.

"What?" Sarah asked in shock. "Casey?"

"You delivered our asset, I think maybe you should leave now." Casey glared at him.

"Casey! Enough! He's not leaving. We need information and he knows where our base is. He's not leaving. Go call Devon. Get him here." Sarah ordered her partner. "Now Casey!"

Casey left the room and Sarah immediately turned her attention back to Chuck.

"Are you with the ring?" She asked Dan as she worked on removing Chuck's sweatshirt, revealing the blood soaked bandages. Dan moved to assist her.

"No." he replied, not surprised by her question. "He's lost a lot of blood Lieutenant, He's going to need a transfusion. Not to mention he's incredibly dehydrated. All we've had in the past two days were a couple of bottled waters."

Sarah moved to a nearby cabinet and retrieved a bag of IV fluids and an IV kit.

"I haven't done one of these in years, I could use some help."

Sarah went to work looking for a vein in Chuck's arm. The CIA trained it's agents for medical emergencies. They were taught how to place an IV, dress wounds, control bleeding, set a broken bone. Sarah had even removed a bullet or two before, but that was different. It wasn't Chuck she was working on. fortunately for them Castle was well equipped with medical supplies and equipment that from the looks of it would be coming in quite handy right about now.

"This vein looks like it might be a good one." Dan pointed one out to Sarah who after a few minutes of poking around on Chuck's arm, stuck him with the needle. She hit the vein right away, but a few minutes later the vein collapsed. Due to Chuck's severe dehydration his veins continued to collapse every time Sarah got the needle adjusted. Sarah managed to finally get a vein that didn't collapse but it was a small one and she had her doubts as to how long it might actually hold up. Devon would have to put in a central line when he got there.

Chuck's skin was hot to the touch, he appeared extremely uncomfortable and weak. Sarah took his temperature with an ear thermometer. She gasped when she read 103.9. Sarah removed Chuck's pants and shoes, leaving him in only his boxers. She covered him up to his waist with a thin white sheet. She wet a wash cloth and immediately went to work trying to bring Chuck's temperature down. She wiped gently at his forehead, his cheeks, the back of his neck.

"Tell me what happened?" she asked McKinley who was cleaning an open cut on his own arm.

"Two of Beckman's agents boarded the plane just before we took off. This one guy, Hansen, he'd been working pretty close with Chuck since he came to us a few months ago. They didn't get along very well. They were always butting heads. He's the one responsible for all the broken ribs. He nearly beat Chuck to death earlier in the week during a torture interrogation session. I had to shut down the operation before he killed him.""How could Beckman let this go on?" Sarah was dumbfounded over what she was hearing.

"Chuck's training has been nothing but extraordinary to say the least. His skills are so advanced, his training was extensive. It was intense and grueling to put it mildly. That boy there has accomplished more in his training than most agents will ever see in their lifetime."

Sarah looked at Chuck as she continued to dab at his forehead. She stroked his cheek with her free hand and he seemed to settle down to her touch. She always knew that Chuck would accomplish great things, she just hoped it would be with her.

"So Hansen was with the ring?" She asked Dan.

"Looks like it." Dan replied. "Like I was saying, Hansen and this other agent, Miller I believe was the name, boarded just before take off. They said Beckman wanted them to assist with the transfer to ensure Chuck's safety. A few hours into the flight, Miller disappears into the cockpit, shortly after we hear a gunshot. I go to investigate and get knocked out. Hansen then goes after Chuck, and shoots Miller. When I came to, the plane was going down. We struggled, Chuck took a bullet and Hansen was knocked out. Chuck tried to gain control of the plane, but the controls were jammed, we had no other choice than to jump. After, we managed to make our way on foot to the highway and hitch hiked to a small town. Chuck was refusing medical treatment so I snuck into a hospital and got some medical supplies for his wounds. I stole a couple of cars and we made our way to Burbank. Chuck had me sneak into his apartment to get that arm contraption that he was fooling around with so he could shut down the security cameras from outside your base here. He doesn't know if Beckman can be trusted and didn't want to be spotted by the surveillance cameras."

"So the two bodies in the wreckage, they must have been Hansen and Miller. Beckman told us you two and the pilot were the only ones on the plane, either she was lying or she didn't know about Hansen and Miller boarding. Everyone thinks you and Chuck are dead."

Dan was surprised to hear this. "Then we can't let them know otherwise." He said taking a few steps towards Sarah.

"What?" She questioned.

"We have to stay dead. It might be the perfect way to draw out the ring. Their guard will be down."

"That might just work. If no one knows you two survived…" Sarah contemplated the idea and you could see the wheels turning in her head. She immediately went to work devising a new plan. "You must be incredibly hungry and thirsty. There's a small fridge in the next room there, go help yourself."

"Thank you Lieutenant, I think I might just do that." Dan hobbled out of the room, leaving Sarah alone with Chuck who she could now give her full attention to.

Sarah leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Please be okay." she whispered in his ear.

* * *

"Something is happening over there. My bugs from that yogurt shop are out." Haz roared into his phone.

"No it's not just a malfunction. Something or someone must have jammed the signals."

"I don't care what you're doing right now. Get over there and check things out. Let me know what you find." Haz hung up his phone abruptly before the person on the other end even had a chance to respond.

* * *

General Beckman was just about finished reading the last page of the latest report from one of her teams operating in Belize when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Frustrated she threw down the file.

"What is it?" She called out.

The agent opened the door and entered slowly.

"General, we have reason to believe the Burbank facility has been compromised." He informed her.

"Why do you say that?' She asked intrigued by his statement.

"Well General, our equipment indicated that surveillance there has been down for nearly 20 minutes now."

"It could just be a power outage." Beckman suggested. "Has anyone tried to communicate with the team?"

"No General, we thought we should consult with you first."

"Consult with me first? Until you have some news to share I don't want to see you. Go try to contact them. If you can't get through call one of the L.A field agents on Walker's team and get them over there to check things out."

"Yes General." the agent made his way to the door and didn't hesitate to make his exit as quickly as possible.

* * *

Chuck's eyes fluttered open and he became restless.

"Chuck? Chuck you're okay." Sarah tried her best to soothe him.

"I...can't..." He whimpered.

"Shhh...Relax Chuck...You need to stay calm, try not to move too much." Sarah instructed.

Chuck turned his attention to Sarah, his eyes met hers and he seemed to relax. Chuck's hand moved up to stroke Sarah's long blonde locks. "An angel....am...I...dead?" he managed to get out.

"Chuck! No, you're not dead. You're going to be just fine."

Chuck's hand moved down Sarah's hair and came in contact with her cheek.

"Beautiful...angel.." He said before falling unconscious again.

"Chuck." Sarah sighed. She moved over to the sink and wet the washcloth that was now completely dry. She quickly made her way back to her patient and continued her work on him.

"Casey I don't know why you couldn't just tell me over the phone what's going on. Is it Sarah. Is something wrong with...?" Devon stopped dead in his tracks as he and Casey entered the barracks. His mouth dropped when he saw an unconscious, bleeding Chuck laid out on the table with a tearful, completely drained Sarah attending to him.

"Devon...You have to help him." She pleaded. "Please."

Devon quickly went into doctor mode and made his way over to Chuck, Casey followed.

"Where's McKinley?" Casey asked.

"He's in the other room, getting something to eat." Sarah replied.

"You let him out of your sight? Are you crazy? We can't trust him!" Casey exclaimed.

"Casey, relax! It's fine he's on our side, we can trust him, besides we don't have a choice right now."

"Sarah what the hell happened?" Devin asked as he went to work examining his brother in law.

"Devon, he was shot a couple of days ago. He also has several broken ribs. He's severely dehydrated and running an incredibly high fever."

Devon's mouth dropped as he took in what Sarah was saying. "Guys! He has to go to the hospital! What the hell is he doing here?"

"Devon, he can't go to the hospital." Devon gave Sarah a questioning look so she felt she had to elaborate for him. "Look, he's in danger. There are some very, very bad people after him. Right now, they think he's dead. Chuck specifically asked for you to treat him. He can trust you...We can trust you."

"He needs surgery Sarah...he needs a blood transfusion, test need to be run...I...how can I do that here?"

"Devon, we can get you whatever you need. Please...just...hurry…Save him."

Chuck groaned in pain as Devon examined him further. His eyes shot open again.

"Chuck? Chuck it's Devon."

"Mmm…..mom…"

"Chuck, you've been shot." Devon tried to talk to him again.

"Mom…can I…go…to…" he started again.

"Chuck?"

"Morgan's house….after school….to…play….Zelda?"

"He's delirious." Devon replied." He has no idea where he is or what's happening.

Agent McKinley entered from the other room,, Sarah couldn't help but notice he seemed to have a little more color now that he had something to eat. Casey shot him a look.

"How's he doing lieutenant?" McKinley asked as he approached Chuck.

"Dan!" Chuck called out to him. His eyes opened once again.

Dan made his way over to Chuck. "I'm here Chuck."

"Dan!" Chuck reached out for him, grabbing hold how his shirt he pulled him closer. "Promise me…You'll find her..find Sarah…tell her…I…loved..her."

"Chuck, you can tell her yourself. Sarah's right here with you." Dan replied.

Sarah's eyes welled up with tears as she looked on.

"Don't tell Ellie….I lied…to her."

"Chuck you need to relax." Devon instructed. "Do you have any sedatives here?" He asked Sarah.

Sarah made her way to a nearby cupboard. She searched through the variety of medications housed in it. Grabbing three she made her way back over to Devon to show him her findings.

"Is this all you have?" he asked.

Sarah nodded in response.

Devon sighed. "I guess it'll have to do." Devon grabbed one of the vials from Sarah and a syringe. He immediately went to work administering the medication to Chuck, who after a few minutes seemed to relax.

"Sarah what about anesthesia? I don't suppose you have any of that here do you?"

"No. But we can get some."

"How long will it take?" He questioned.

"It would probably be a few hours."

"Sarah he doesn't have that long."

Sarah fought back the tears that were trying their hardest to escape her eyes.

"Uggghh…" Chuck stirred on the table.

"Chuck, it's okay, just relax."

Chuck opened his eyes. "D…Dev..on?"

"Yeah Chuck it's me. Do you remember what happened?" Devon asked. Sarah, Casey and McKinley looked on from a short distance.

"I…I…was shot."

"Yeah Chuck. The thing is you need surgery to have the bullet removed. The problem is I don't have access to any anesthesia. I really have to strongly suggest that it is time for you to go to a hospital."

Chuck shook his head as much as he could.

"No…Cant…no..hospital….Devon….take out…the..bullet." Chuck grabbed hold of Devon's arm. "Please." He pleaded with him.

"Chuck, You do not want surgery without anesthesia."

"Devon!…Please…just …help me."

"Chuck…are you sure?"

"Do it." Before Chuck could say any more he fell unconscious once again.

Devon turned to the three others in the room with him.

"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to need some help."

Sarah stepped up. "Devon, you're not actually going to do this? Without anesthesia? He'll feel everything!"

"Sarah, I don't have a choice. Besides it's what Chuck wants. Without the surgery he's going to die. Look, don't worry, I'll give him plenty of sedatives and painkillers to prevent him from feeling too much. He needs this Sarah. I promise you, if there was any other way to do this I would."

After much hesitation, Sarah finally nodded in agreement and Devon quickly went to work gathering supplies.

Sarah, Casey and McKinley worked diligently on gathering supplies and turning the small barracks into an operating room, while Devon set Chuck up with a blood transfusion. Fortunately for them, castle was equipped with several units of type O blood should the need for it occur.

"I can't believe we're doing this." Sarah said as she finished sterilizing the tools Devon was going to be using to the extract the bullet from Chuck's abdomen.

"It'll be fine Walker, Devon knows what he's doing." Casey replied in hushed tones.

"It's not that. I know he's a good doctor, it's just, it doesn't seem right, it's…it's almost…inhumane."

"He's tough Sarah, He's going to get through this just fine."

"Alright Guys, looks like we're ready here. I'm going to need an assistant. Sarah, I don't think it should be you. I just think it'll be really hard for you."

Sarah nodded in agreement.

"I'll assist. I worked five years as a medic in the army." Dan piped in.

Devon nodded in agreement. "I can work with that. Any objections?" Devon directed the question to Sarah and Casey. Both of them shook their heads.

"Alright then, I'm going to have you two step out," Devon said to Casey and Sarah "and then we'll get started."

Casey made his way to the door. He stopped and waited for Sarah to join him. Sarah stopped next to Chuck on her way out. She lovingly stroked his cheek and tousled a few of his unruly curls to the side. Bending down she placed a lingering kiss on his lips. "forgive me." she whispered before joining Casey at the door. She looked back at him one last time before making her exit.

"So what are we going to do about security?" Casey asked once Sarah Joined him in the hallway. "Our surveillance has been down for nearly 40 minutes now. Someone is bound to take notice sooner or later." The two made their way out into the main corridor.

"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. We can't put it back up until Chuck is out of here and who knows how long that will be. I guess we can blame it on a power outage, but until our full surveillance is up and running again, we're going to need to at least turn on our outside security so we can keep track of any movement around the perimeter."

"I'll get on it."

"Thanks Casey."

Sarah sat down in one of the chairs that circled the conference table while Casey went to work on the computer. Sarah leaned back in the chair, just as she was about to try to relax, She jumped when she heard Chuck's screams come from the other room. She and Casey looked at each other and then turned their attention back to the muffled screams coming from the back barracks. The screams continued to come sporadically over the next fifteen minutes and this time Sarah couldn't hold back the tears. Casey tried his best to focus on his task at hand in hopes of drowning out the screams that echoed through castle. His main objective right now was to get their outside security cameras back up and running.

"There. We're up and running again." Casey stood up to stretch. Sarah turned her attention to the monitors following Casey's announcement.

"And it looks like we got some company." Casey said motioning to the monitor on the wall. They watched as agent Steven's made his way inside the orange orange and proceeded to the freezer.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Sarah questioned.

"I don't know but he can't know about our guests in the back."

"Don't worry I'll get rid of him." Sarah no sooner got the words out and Agent Steven's entered Castle joining Casey and Sarah in the main corridor.

"Stevens, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked as he made he descended the stairs.

"It's nice to see you too lieutenant. Your security's down, I came to check things out. Make sure castle hasn't been compromised again." He said as he approached.

"Well as you can see Stevens we are perfectly fine. Just a minor power outage. Full surveillance should be up and running again within the hour."

"Well I can help do a sweep of castle or maybe I can help you get things up and running, I used to be pretty good with that sort of thing." He offered.

"That won't be necessary Stevens, we're all set here, but thanks for dropping by, you're dismissed." Sarah's tone was cold and unfeeling.

"Walker, I'm going to go check the back perimeter." Casey announced.

Sarah nodded and the two of them shared a knowing look.

Sarah turned to her computer screen her back facing Stevens, she pretended to work as she waited for him to make his exit.

"Are you sure I can't do anything here lieutenant?" He moved towards her slowly. Sarah stood from her chair to adjust the controls on the monitor above her head.

"Here, let me help you with that." Stevens reached up to adjust the controls. Placing his hand on top of hers, he let it linger there, then proceeded to caress his way down her arm he moved in closer to her so that her back was pressed against his chest. His hand made it's way slowly down her side. Sarah cringed under his touch.

"Lieutenant, I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I know I was out of line. I just…you get to me you know."

Stevens' hand slowly approached Sarah's thigh as he brought his other hand around her waist.

"Sarah, It's quite obvious to me how unhappy you've been these past few months. You're stressed out…tense. " He spoke seductively into her ear, his hot breath gave her goose bumps and not in a good way. "I think I can maybe… ease some of that tension for you." He rubbed his hand vigorously up and down her thigh making his way towards the inner part of her leg.

"Oh you do, do you?" she replied.

"Absolutely." He replied before he began placing kisses down her neck.

Sarah couldn't believe his gall. Without a second thought and before he knew what hit him, Sarah grabbed him by the wrist and in no time had him down on his knees, his arm twisted behind his back as he yelped in pain. "Oww Oww Oww."

"Stevens if you ever, ever lay a finger on me… if you ever so much as look at me in a way I don't like, I will end your life. Do I make myself clear?" She yanked harder on his arm to let him know she meant business.

"Oww Oww, yes, yes."

"Get out of here Stevens before I change my mind and end it right now." Sarah released his arm and he fell forward to the floor. Grabbing his arm he stood up and made his way for the door.

"Crazy bitch." She heard him mumble as he made his exit, just as Casey was reentering the room.

"What the hell was that about?" He asked her obviously confused by Stevens' behavior.

"Oh, I don't think Stevens will be bothering us for a while." She smirked. Sarah turned to give Casey her full attention. "Did you check on Chuck?"

"Yeah. Devon's just finishing up, said he should be out in fifteen minutes or so with an update."

"Casey, how did…how did he look?"

"He's a trooper Walker. The kid is tough."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah noticed some movement on the security camera and pointed it out to Casey. "Looks like we got another visitor." She said.

Casey looked up at the monitor to see Agent Erin Malloy enter the Orange Orange.

"Want me to cut her off before she gets down here?" Casey asked.

"It'd probably be a good idea." She replied.

Casey ascended the stair case, he punched in some numbers on the control panel to open the door. Sarah watched him leave and then turned her attention to the monitor and watched as he talked with Agent Malloy upstairs in the Orange Orange.

"Erin!..or…I mean…Agent Malloy….What are you doing here." Casey asked as he emerged from the freezer.

Erin smiled as soon as she saw him. Sarah watched the interaction between the two on the monitor. If she didn't know better she could have sworn she saw Casey grinning ear to ear as he engaged in what appeared to be playful banter with the female agent.

"Word is your security is down. Everything okay?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Yeah…yeah it's just a minor power outage. We have everything under control here."

Erin moved in closer to Casey "How are you John?" She asked placing her hand gently on his arm, causing a smile to form on Casey's face. It was short lived when Casey suddenly pulled his arm away, creating a sense of hurt and disappointment for Erin. Casey immediately felt bad being the cause of such feelings for her.

"What's the matter John?" She asked.

Casey glanced up at the surveillance camera up on the wall and then she understood.

"Are we being watched?" she asked.

"Most likely." he replied. "How about I walk you out to your car."

Erin turned toward the door and Casey guided her out to the parking lot. Reaching her car, she turned to face Casey.

"Sorry about that." he said. "Walker's inside, I just, I don't think it would be a good idea if she knew about us, at least not yet anyway…you understand?"

"It's fine John, I get it."

Casey reached out for her hands and took them into his."

"I'm sorry Erin." he moved in closer to her until her back was pressed up against the side of her car. Casey leaned in and placed a small kiss on her lips that left them both yearning for more. They no sooner parted lips and found themselves attached at the mouth once again. Casey moved in closer, pressing her body firmly against the car. His one hand clasped behind her neck as the other roamed freely over her cheek and through her hair. Eventually their need for air became too much and the two parted lips. Casey leaned his forehead against hers, their breath labored as they savored the sensation they were invoking in one another.

"John." her voice was raspy and she clung to him not wanting to let go. "Can you leave?" she asked, almost pleaded with him.

"I can't." the disappointment resonated in his voice. "It's probably going to be an all nighter for me."

"I want to be with you John."

"Soon Erin…I…think there may be a break in the case soon…I can feel it….and then, I'll take some time off. Maybe even a vacation, clear my head, we can get outta here for a while, just the two of us."

"Well it sounds wonderful." she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled into his arms.

"It will be. Do you know how long it's been since I've had a vacation?"

'Years I would imagine."

Casey grunted. "That's putting it mildly….Look I probably need to get back in there. Walker will be wondering what happened to me."

Erin nodded, she knew he was right. "Will I see you tomorrow?" She looked up at him with her big brown eyes.

"I'll call you." Casey opened her car door for her. Leaning in he placed another small kiss on her lips before helping her into her car. "Drive safely." he said.

"Bye John."

"Goodnight." he said before closing her door. He stood and watched her drive off before heading back into Castle.

Casey walked back in to find Sarah pacing the floor.

"Everything okay Walker?" he asked, shaking her from the trance she appeared to be in.

"Huh?…yeah…I just….I don't understand what's taking them so long." Sarah was on her last nerve. This was too much for her. The events of the past few days were really starting to take their toll on her.

"I'm sure they'll be out soon." he tried to sound reassuring.

"What did Malloy want?" Sarah asked stirring the conversation.

"What?….oh…umm….she heard the surveillance was down, she was just checking in, seeing if we needed anything. I let her know everything was okay and sent her on her way."

"Beckman must have dispatched the field agents. Made them check in. If that's the case, she is well aware back at head quarters what's going on here as far as our security being down. We need to act fast to get it back up and running as soon as possible."

"We need to move Chuck out as soon as possible." Casey replied.

"Where are we going to take him Casey? We need to set up a safe house for him and Dan."

Casey grunted at the mention of his father.

"We can't wait to set up a safe house, we need to move him tonight…soon."

"We're going to move him right after surgery?" She raised a brow as she stated the question.

Casey didn't need to respond to the question, the look on his face said it all.

"Casey, that is absurd. Chuck needs time to heal. It's not safe to move him that quickly."

"Sarah, it's not safe to keep him here. There's too many eyes and ears. We'll get a safe house set up but in the mean time we'll find him a safe place to stay. His apartment is out. There's too many surveillance cameras in the courtyard to get him in my place safely and quickly. He'll stay with you until the house is ready and then we'll move him."

Sarah sighed, she knew Casey was right. They had to get Chuck out of there quickly. She had to admit though, the thought of Chuck staying at her place with her where she could keep a watchful eye on him put her mind at ease a little. "Fine…but we're only moving him if Devon says he is stable enough to do so."

As if on cue, Devon and Agent McKinley emerged from the back room.

"Devon?" Sarah approached him.

"He's okay." Devon responded, not even waiting for Sarah to ask the question he knew was coming. "I had no idea how tough Chuck is. I've never seen anything like it. He's unconscious right now, but he should be fine."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief before tackling Devon with a huge hug. "Thank you." She whispered in his ear.

"Devon, we need to move Chuck out of here tonight. As soon as possible. How long before we can get the kid on his feet and out of here?" Casey interjected.

Sarah and Devon broke their hug.

"You want to move him tonight?" Devon asked.

"It's not safe for him here." Casey replied.

"Devon, we have no choice. Is he stable enough to move?" Sarah asked.

"He needs time to rest. I'll check on him in a half hour or so and let you know if he's stable enough."

Casey nodded and gave one of his grunts in response and went back to his computer.

"So, he did good huh?" Sarah turned her attention back to Devon.

Devon smiled. "He did great Sarah. Do you want to see him?"

Sarah smiled. "Yeah." she said and Devon led her to the back room.

"He's not awake, he's sedated, I don't expect it to last long though. I imagine he's going to be in quite a bit of pain. I'm going to give him something for that once he's conscious and I can determine his pain level." Devon opened the door to the barracks.

Sarah stopped in the doorway. She looked in to see the man she loved lying unconscious on the table. She had to admit his coloring did look much better and he didn't seem to be in much pain like he had been earlier.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah approached slowly. Devon closed the door after she entered to give her some privacy. She grabbed a nearby stool and pulled it up next to him and sat down. She took hold of his hand, bringing it up to her face, she rested her cheek against it momentarily before placing a gentle kiss on it.

"What the hell did you get yourself into here Sarah?" she asked herself.

She had fallen for him and she fell hard. How could she allow herself get so close to someone? How could she let herself be so vulnerable? These were not the actions of a super spy. Maybe it was time to get out before it was too late? Cut all ties while she still could. The pain she had suffered the past few days, hell the past few months during his absence, was like nothing she had ever experienced. If this is what it felt like to be in love, then Sarah couldn't help but wonder why anyone even bothered. How could anyone want this? She thought to herself. It shouldn't be this hard? Sarah toyed with the charm bracelet that adorned her wrist.

'_It's good luck.' _his words resonated in her head. She had to laugh. When was she going to get hers?

She sat deep in thought for a good 20 minutes before Devon and McKinley entered.

"Sarah?" Devon spoke softly. "Sarah?" he repeated louder when she failed to answer.

Sarah jumped as Devon caught her off guard.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Devon said. He made his way into the room, followed by Agent McKinley.

"No, it's fine." Sarah wiped at her eyes.

"Casey wanted me to get you. He said to tell you the General got through to him on his phone. You have a conference call in 10 minutes."

"Oh." Sarah looked surprised. "Umm…okay…" She stood from her stool and wiped at her eyes some more.

"Casey told us we should wait here until he comes to get us."

"Right. We'll come get you when it's over with." Sarah made her way out of the door. She met up with Casey in the conference room, where he was awaiting General Beckman's call.

"Casey what's going on?" She asked as she approached her partner.

"Beckman managed to get through on a secure signal, overriding the transmission that Chuck blocked. She's coming through on that signal any minute now for a conference call." Casey reported.

"Does she know anything?"

"I don't think so. I don't know, she didn't say much."

The monitor on the wall flickered. The image General Beckman was fuzzy and flashed in an out.

"Lieute..t Wa…er, Colonel Ca…y." the audio came through muffled, cutting in and out.

"General, you're cutting out." Sarah responded.

After a few minutes of Beckman's crew toying with the transmission signal, the audio began to come through much clearer, however the picture on the screen remained fuzzy.

"General, as far as we know it's merely a power outage. There seemed to be some sort of an electrical surge, nothing more than a mechanical failure, "within the control panel. We are expected to be up and running again completely within the hour." Sarah reported to her.

"And you are absolutely sure this was not an intentional attack on castle?" The General questioned the team.

"There are no signs of an attack or any indication that would lead us to believe that General." Casey spoke up.

The General continued to question the team on their current predicament. She also went over some last minute details of their mission tomorrow at the Governor's luncheon.

"Colonel Casey, I would like a few moments alone with Lieutenant Walker." Beckman announced.

Casey nodded and made his exit. Sarah watched as he made his way to the back of castle and headed towards Chuck's bunker.

"Agent Walker. I know you have been through a lot in the past 36 hours, I just wanted to make sure your head is clear. That you're capable of this mission tomorrow. You realize that at this point in the case, there's no room for mistakes. Everything must go as planned.""Yes General. I assure you, my head is clear."

The General nodded her head yet from what Sarah could make out of her image on the screen, she appeared doubtful.

* * *

"I want you prepared for tomorrow Burke." Haz spoke loudly into his phone.

"No, No, it should be easy. The girl will come to you. It'll be like taking candy from a baby."

"Let her do all the work. It won't be hard to get her alone. She'll go willingly."

"No, I'm uploading her picture to you right now." Haz replied looking at the image Sarah Walker on his computer screen.

"No, I want her alive. I'm going to have some fun torturing the Lieutenant."

* * *

"How's the pain Chuck?" Devon asked his brother-in-law, who was now completely awake.

"It's not too bad."

Devon, McKinley and Casey went on to explain to Chuck everything that had happened.

"Devon, we really need to move him." Casey announced to the room.

"Chuck do you think you can sit up?" Devon asked.

"Yeah." he said.

"Nice and easy. Devon instructed. "Help me out here fellas." He said to Dan and Casey. Both men approached and assisted Chuck in sitting upright on the table.

"Aahhhh."

"You Okay?" Devon asked.

"Yeah….Where's Sarah?" Chuck asked taking a look around the room.

"She's on a conference call with the General. Casey announced.

"The General? Great, There's a few things I would like to say to the General." Chuck attempted to stand up from the table but Casey and Dan stopped him.

"Not so fast there Chuck." Dan said "You can't speak with the General right now."

"Why not?"

"Because she thinks you're dead." Casey interjected.

"What?….Dead?"

"The plane crash Chuck. Three bodies recovered. The pilot, Miller's and Hansen's. Miller and Hansen weren't supposed to be on that plane. Everyone thinks their bodies are ours. They think we're dead Chuck."

"And that's exactly what you're going to let them think." Casey piped in again. "This might work to our advantage in drawing out the ring."

"But how?" he asked

"Chuck I'm going to give you a shot of pain medication, it'll make you a little more comfortable for the move." Devon said squeezing his way between Casey and Chuck with the full syringe. Devon cleaned a spot on Chuck's upper arm with an alcohol pad and proceeded to insert the needle into his flesh to deliver it's contents.

"Walker and I have a mission tomorrow. A Governor's luncheon. There will be a ring operative in attendance. We have plans to get close to them, draw Haz out.

Chuck looked past Dan and Casey, turning his attention to the door when he heard it open. In walked an angel. Well maybe not an angel per say, but she was his angel. She was what kept him going, she was his saving grace. A smile came over his face. "Sarah."

The three men all turned their attention to Sarah who was making her way into the room.

"He's awake….and sitting up?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"We're getting ready to move him out Walker." Casey said. "We need to pull the car around and finish securing the perimeter. Finish getting him ready to move." Casey said as the three men made their exit.

Sarah approached the table where Chuck sat staring at her. Nothing but a pair of boxers on with a sheet over his lap. Sarah's gaze fell to the bandages that covered his abdomen.

"Okay…..well…how about we find you a shirt." She turned to move away from him. She was caught entirely off guard when he reached out and grabbed her hand with his and pulled her in close so that she stood directly in front him. Mere inches from his chest. Her body securely between his legs.

"Umm…..Hi." he said.

"Hi." was all she could say.

He moved his hand up to her face and brushed back a few strands of hair and tucked them behind her ear.

"That's it?" He asked confused by her behavior. "I haven't seen you in months and all I get is a hi?"

"I'm sorry." she replied.

Chuck leaned in and placed a small kiss on her lips. He pulled back when she failed to respond to him. Tears welled in her eyes and he wiped at them.

"What is it?" he asked.

She remained silent.

"Sarah, please. Why are you being so distant?"

"Chuck….I…" the tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Chucked pulled her in tightly. She collapsed against him and he held her. Her tears made their way down his bare chest.

"I..thought…I thought you were dead." She cried.

Chuck had to fight hard to hold back his own tears. He hated seeing Sarah so upset, but knowing he was the one that caused it was unbearable.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Sarah."

"It's not your fault…It's not your fault."

Chuck leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I hate seeing you so upset."

Sarah pulled away from him enough to look up at him with her tear stained face.

"I love you."

Chuck's face lit up as he heard the three words he had been longing to hear escape her lips. Then for a brief moment he thought perhaps he was dreaming, or maybe still delusional.

"What?" he asked hoping for some reassurance.

Sarah smiled. "I said, I love you….I've wanted to tell you for so long now….the moment you left…I wished I had said it….I just…I didn't know how."

"I love you too." he said before leaning in for another kiss. It was gentle, sensual, loving and it spoke volumes.

"Aahhem." Dan cleared his throat as he entered the room making his presence know.

"Chuck, I have some sweats for you to change into. The car is ready to go, so once you're dressed we're moving out. Dan handed Chuck the clothes.

"Thanks Dan, just give me a minute to change."

Dan nodded and walked out the door closing it behind him.

"Where am I a going anyways?" Chuck asked.

"Well, for tonight, you're coming home with me." she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Chuck smiled. "There's no place else I'd rather be."

_**Hope you all enjoyed. I look forward to your feedback.**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks everyone for all your feedback from the last chapter. Most of you seem to be happy with the direction the story is taking. I look forward to your feedback. Enjoy!**

Chapter 14

It was approaching one in the morning by the time they made it back to Sarah's hotel room which was probably a good thing because there weren't that many people up that they could risk running in to.

They brought Chuck in through the back entrance and used the service elevator to get him up to Sarah's floor. Casey, Dan and Devon all waited around the corner out of site while Sarah unlocked her door. Looking around, she made sure there was no one around before she waved them over. Dan and Devon proceeded to assist Chuck into her apartment, his arms slung over their shoulders as they supported him around his waist. Casey led them with his gun drawn, ready to take on anyone who might get in their way.

Sarah quickly ushered the four men inside and closed the door behind them. Dan and Devon led Chuck over to Sarah's bed and gently set him down on the edge of it.

"Nice and easy." Devon instructed as they lowered him to the bed.

"Aaahhh." Chuck groaned.

"You okay?" Dan asked.

"Yeah…I'm Fine." He replied through clenched teeth.

"Chuck we're going to get you settled in and then I'm going to give you something more for the pain." Devon informed him.

Sarah pulled Casey aside while the other two men got Chuck settled into the bed.

"Casey, what are we going to do with Dan?" She asked him in hushed tones.

Casey gave her a look. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, where is he going to stay tonight? I don't have room for him here. He can't stay at Castle…"

Casey's expression changed to anger. He didn't like where this conversation was going. "Walker…I hope you're not suggesting that he stay with me?"

"Casey it'll only be till we get everything set up for the safe house."

Casey shook his head. "No, No, it's not going to happen."

"Casey, I understand that you two have some things you need to work out and that he is not exactly your favorite person right now, but we need him. Casey if it wasn't for your fath.." Casey gave her the evil eye. "If it wasn't for Dan." She continued. "Then Chuck would have never made it out of there with his injuries. Like it or not, Dan is a part of our team right now and we take care of our team."

Casey grunted, as much as he didn't like it, he knew Sarah was right. "Fine!" He snarled back at her. "But it's just for tonight, so you better get something in place soon."

Sarah nodded and Casey moved away from her, making his way back over to where Chuck was. Sarah sighed heavily before doing the same.

Chuck was now laying down on the bed. Devon had removed his sweatshirt and was examining Chuck's incision site.

"It looks pretty good Chuck if I do say so myself. How's the pain?" Devon asked.

Chuck looked past Devon to see Sarah approaching. A worried expression adorned her face as she waited to hear Chuck's answer to Devon's question.

"It's good." Chuck replied quickly.

Devon gave him a questioning look. "Really?" he said. Devon poked around on Chuck's abdomen a bit causing Chuck to wince in pain. "It's good huh?" he asked.

Chuck sighed. "Okay, well, maybe it hurts a little bit." he finally admitted.

Devon went to his bag and pulled out a syringe and a bottle of medicine. He immediately went to work filling the syringe. "Chuck this should make you more comfortable. It should kick in pretty quickly." Devon said as he approached him with the needle in his hand. Devon went to work injecting Chuck with the medication.

"Sarah I'm going to start a new bag of IV fluids on him for tonight, don't let him eat anything until I give him the go ahead. I want to make sure everything is functioning properly first. He can have some ice chips if he wants them."

"Okay." she replied.

"Here." Devon handed Sarah a bag of syringes and a bottle of medication. "If he needs it, he can have 2 units for pain every four hours. Don't give him any more than that."

Sarah nodded as she took the bag from Devon. "It's good if he gets up once in a while, to just walk around for a couple minutes, but not for long, don't let him do too much. He really needs as much rest as he can get. I'll stop in before work in the morning and Sarah if there is anything, anything at all, call me."

"I will." she said. Sarah leaned in and hugged Devon. "Thank you…for everything."

"You're welcome." he said as the two broke apart.

"Devon, you know, you can't say anything to Ellie right? She can't even know he's back yet."

Devon nodded. "I know."

Devon headed for the door. "Hold up there Devon." Casey stopped him before he headed out. "I need one more thing from you."

"What's that Casey?" he asked.

"I need you to take McKinley to my place."

Dan looked up surprised by Casey's words. "He needs to stay there tonight until we make other arrangements. There's a lot of surveillance camera's in the court yard. Make sure his face is hidden, take him to your place. Have him sneak out the window in the bathroom and enter my place through the back door. He should go undetected that way. I need to go back to headquarters and make sure everything's back up and running properly."

"Will do John." Devon replied. "You ready?" he asked Dan as he made his way for the door.

"Yeah." Dan said. "Lieutenant Walker." Sarah approached him. "I just wanted to thank you for everything."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you Agent McKinley. If it wasn't for you, then Chuck…." She trailed off.

"Chuck would probably be just find. If I learned anything from Agent Carmichael, it's not to judge a book by it's cover. He is definitely more than meets the eye."

Sarah nodded. "That he is." she replied, glancing back at the man laying on her bed. "That he is."

Devon and Dan left Sarah's room and headed back to Devon's. Sarah and Casey went over some details for the next day's mission and then Casey too made his exit. Sarah closed the door behind him and leaned against it momentarily and released a heavy sigh. It had been an incredibly long, grueling day and she was overwhelmed, not to mention exhausted.

"You okay?" the faint voice came from across the room.

Sarah smiled as she made her way over to the bed. "Am I okay? I think I'm the on who should be asking you that." She said taking a seat next to him on the bed. Chuck reached out for her hand and took it into his own. "God I missed that smile." he said as he brought her hand up to his lips, placing a small kiss on it.

"I've missed you." She said, reaching out with her free hand to play with some of his unruly curls. Chuck smiled up at her and reveled in the feel of her touch.

"You look exhausted." he stroked her hand with his thumb.

"I'm a little tired." She admitted.

"Come to bed." he suggested.

Sarah smiled. "I will. I think I'm going to take a quick shower first though."

"Okay. Hurry up though so we can snuggle."

Sarah laughed. "Okay Agent Carmichael. I'll be needing my hand though.'

Chuck smiled and let go of her hand. Sarah smiled at him one last time before making her way into the bathroom. She couldn't fight this thing between them anymore and why should she have to. They loved each other.

* * *

Dan didn't want to turn on the lights to raise any suspicion. Feeling his way around Casey's apartment for several minutes he managed to find a desk lamp to turn on. Dan settled down onto the couch. He looked around taking in his surroundings. As much as he could see anyway in the dim light. He couldn't believe that he was here in his son's apartment after all these years. Dan had given up hope of ever seeing his son again years ago and yet here he was, sitting on his couch.

Dan loved his son, but as far as Casey was concerned Dan might as well be dead. How would be ever be able to make him understand. John wouldn't even talk to him.

Exhaustion taking over, Dan laid down on the couch and it was mere seconds before he drifted off.

* * *

Sarah emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, wearing a pair of light blue pajama pants and a thin white tank top, she certainly wasn't trying to impress anyone. Making her way over to the bed she noticed that Chuck seemed to be resting much more comfortably. The medicine Devon had given him had obviously kicked in.

Sarah turned on the lamp from her nightstand and proceeded to turn off the overhead light that was beating down on Chuck.

"Thank you." he said opening his eyes.

"You're still awake? How are you doing?" She asked approaching his side of the bed.

"I was waiting for you. I'm fine." he replied.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked.

Chuck patted the bed at his side as he smiled up at her. She smiled back.

"Okay." she said. She made her way around to the other side of the bed and climbed in next to him careful not to jostle the bed too much. She turned the lamp off and settled in next to him.

"What are you doing all the way over there?" he asked. "Don't be shy." he held his arm open for her to move in closer.

"Chuck, I don't want to hurt you."

"The only thing that is hurting me, is you being so far away."

Sarah gently moved in closer. She rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hand just above his sutures. She slid her hand up his bare chest drawing circles with her finger. Chuck turned his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Sarah." Chuck yawned as he said her name.

"Hmm?"

"I love you." he said as he began to drift off.

Sarah smiled. She couldn't help but think back to a few months ago. She nearly cringed when Chuck had said those words to her and now, she couldn't get enough of it. She loved hearing him say it and more importantly she loved him.

"I love you Chuck." She said before falling into her own deep slumber.

* * *

When Casey entered his apartment he saw Agent McKinley passed out on his couch. Casey locked his door and reset his alarm before tossing his keys down on the counter. He made his way to his cupboard where he retrieved a bottle of whisky and a glass.

Casey sat down in his chair and placed his bottle and glass down on the coffee table in front of him. He looked over at Dan briefly who was sound to sleep on his couch. Casey grunted before pouring himself a glass of the whiskey. He downed it one swig and proceeded to pour another glass. Casey sat back in the chair. The day was really starting to take it's toll on him. He glanced back over at his father. The man he never thought he would see again. The man that had abandoned his family all those years ago. The man he had looked up to, aspired to be like. The man he loved more than anyone. The man who broke his heart, taught him to trust no one. The man he loathed more than anything.

Casey closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples.

"_Dad, where are you going?" John asked his father who was making his way towards the door, his bag slung over his shoulder._

"_I got another business trip Johnny."_

"_But dad you just got home yesterday. You said would take me to see the air show at the base this weekend." the boy pleaded with his father._

"_I know buddy, I'm sorry, I just got the call this morning."_

"_But dad."_

"_I'm sorry John." Dan leaned in hugged his son. "I love you." he said as he placed a kiss on his head and tousled his hair around._

"_I made you a snack for the road." John's mother approached handing her husband a small brown bag._

"_Thank you." he said_

"_Be careful." she replied as the two shared a look._

_He leaned in and kissed his wife on the lips. "Love you." he said as they pulled apart._

_John watched as his father climbed into his brand new Crown Victoria and sped off down the street._

It had been the last time Casey had seen his father, that was until tonight.

He had been told two weeks later that his father had been killed in a car crash just outside of Phoenix. It wasn't until Casey was a young man that his mother had told him that his father had worked for the CIA and that all those business trips he was always going on were missions. As far as Casey was concerned, the CIA was responsible for his father's death and he resented them for that.

Casey downed his second glass of whiskey in record time. He put the glass down on the table. Grabbing the bottle, he brought it to his lips and took one last big swig before heading off to his bedroom to call it a night.

* * *

The buzzing from Sarah's alarm clock caused her to stir. Still not fully conscious she found herself gravitating towards the warm body next to her.

Chuck's eyes fluttered open and despite the pain he was feeling, he had to smile. He turned his head and inhaled deeply taking in the scent of her hair. She stirred again and her eyes opened. She met his gaze and he smiled at her before leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Good morning." he said seductively in her ear as their lips parted.

"Mmmm, it is a good morning." She tried to move away from him, but he reached out and grabbed hold of her arm.

"Whoa, where are you going?" he asked.

She laughed. "I'm just shutting the alarm off." She reached over and pressed the button, putting an end to the incessant buzzing after which she returned to her rightful spot in his waiting arms.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, running her fingers gently over his abdomen.

"I'm okay." he said.

"Do you need some medication for pain?" She looked up at him waiting for his answer.

"He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You are my pain medication." he replied.

Sarah propped herself up on her elbow and faced him.

"Chuck…Really if you need something tell me. You haven't had any painkillers since last night."

"Sarah."

He reached out and stroked her face with his hand. He brushed the hair from eyes and leaned in to kiss her again. It was soft and gentle and full of promises. Promises of a life together, a future they both wanted.

They parted lips briefly. It wasn't long before they found one another again. This time it was more passionate, urgent and full of desire. Sarah gasped when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. She ran her fingers through his curls and he moaned as she deepened the kiss. Chuck's hand made it's way under the thin material of her tank top, feeling it's way down her back, sensuously caressing her silky smooth skin in the process. It sent shivers down her spine and she trembled under his touch. She moved in closer to him. Chuck gasped when her leg brushed against his abdomen as she tried to reposition herself. She quickly pulled away from him.

"Oh my God! Chuck are you okay?" She asked frantically examining his gunshot wound.

He laughed. "Sarah, I'm fine."

She moved away from him and got out of the bed.

"Sarah?… what are you doing? It's no big deal…really." he tried to reassure her.

"Chuck it is a big deal..Honeslty I don't know what I was thinking. Here you are with a gunshot wound, broken ribs and I'm pouncing all over you."

"Sarah I would hardly say you were pouncing all over me." He laughed again, but cut it short when she gave him a dirty look.

"Please come here?" he asked patting the edge of the bed next to him.

She walked over and sat down. Chuck sat himself up the best he could.

"I'm sorry." she said. "I don't want to hurt you."

Chuck grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips were he proceeded to place a lingering kiss on it.

"Don't ever apologize for loving me Sarah."

She turned to face him. "I do love you, and I want to be with you, but not like this. Not till you're better."

"I know, I just…I can't help myself when it comes to you. Sarah we've been apart so long now. I didn't think I would ever see you again. I want to make love to you. I want to be close to you. I want to make you happy."

She smiled and brushed her hand over his cheek. "I want those things too, but you already make me happy. Chuck, just seeing your face and hearing your voice. Being around you makes me happy."

"You make me happy." He kissed her hand once again.

"I love you.' She said leaning in she placed a small kiss on his lips.

"I love you Sarah."

* * *

Casey woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs and freshly brewed coffee. He came out of his bedroom to find Dan cooking away in the kitchen.

He looked up from the frying pan when he heard Casey approaching.

"John…I hope you don't mind, I helped myself. I haven't had a home cooked breakfast in, well I can't even remember when."

Casey just grunted. It was his 'I'm slightly annoyed grunt'

"I made plenty. If I remember correctly you used to love my bacon and eggs."

"That was a long time ago." Casey replied.

"There's fresh coffee in the pot."

"Hmmm." Casey made his way through the kitchen. He went to the cupboard and grabbed a clean mug. He filled it with coffee and took a seat on a stool at the counter. He watched as Dan dished out the food onto two separate plates. He noticed how he took two extra pieces of bacon from his own plate and placed them on the plate he was fixing for his son, just like he always had done when he was a kid.

Casey had to admit, it did smell good and if he remembered correctly it was definitely going to taste good. Maybe he would have a little of it, it was his food after all.

Dan walked over to the counter with the two plates. He placed the one with the extra bacon on it in front of Casey. He stood across from him at the counter picking at the food on his plate. He was definitely walking around on eggshells around Casey.

Casey took a swig of his coffee and proceeded to pick at the food on the plate. It was just as good as he remembered. For some reason when he was a kid, breakfast was always better when his father made it. Perhaps it was because he was hardly ever there to do it, so when he did, it was pretty special.

"So John. I really think we should talk about things." Dan started.

"There's nothing to talk about." Casey replied, shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth.

"I think there is."

"Look, you left us. We thought you were dead, but you weren't, you just left." Casey was angry, he didn't want to be having this conversation right now. He didn't want to have it ever, but here he was having it.

"I didn't just leave John!" Dan raised his voice. "They made me leave. Leave you, your mother. It was the only way I could protect you. You think it didn't tear me up inside? My wife and son thinking I was dead. You and your mother, you meant everything to me. You mean everything to me. The day I said goodbye to you and your mother was the worst day of my life."

Casey sat in silence taking it all in. "Who made you leave?" he finally asked.

"The CIA. It was a special mission. I was going off grid to take down this new terrorist threat. They were close to uncovering my identity. They would have gone after you…your mother. The only way to protect you was to leave and get them before they could get me…The CIA faked my death. It guaranteed the safety of my family, but made it so I could never go back. They gave me my new name, new identity. New life." his voice trailed off.

Casey looked down, he couldn't bare to look the man in the eye. "I didn't know." he finally said.

"How could you? You were only twelve."

"Yeah…well we should get going here, we need to meet Walker at her place. Ill see if I can find you some clothes to wear." Casey stood from his stool and Dan watched as he disappeared back into his bedroom closing the door behind him. He was going to win his son back if it killed him.

* * *

"Nice and easy Chuck." Devon ordered as he helped Chuck back onto the bed. "You're getting around much better than I was expecting. Any problems or concerns?"

"Can I take a shower?" Chuck asked.

"Tonight I'll stop back and replace those suitures with something more shower friendly, until then you cant get them wet. A sponge bath would be fine though."

"A sponge bath?" Chuck repeated as he looked up at Sarah with a smile on his face.

"I'm going to remove the IV Chuck. Here." Devon handed him a bottle of pills. "I brought you these for the pain, just follow the directions on the label. No more injections."

Devon went to work removing Chuck's IV while Sarah had disappeared into the bathroom. She emerged moments later while Devon was finishing up with Chuck.

"Alright guys, everything looks good. If there are any problems page me and I'll get here as soon as I can. Other than that, I'll see ya tonight." Devon gathered his belongings and headed for the door.

"Thanks Devon" Sarah walked him to the door, she locked it securely behind him.

Sarah stepped back into the bathroom and emerged carrying a towel, a wash cloth and a bowl of warm soapy water. She slowly made her way back to the bed, so as not to spill anything.

"What's all that?" Chuck was curious.

"This Agent Bartowski is for that sponge bath."

Chuck's face lit up. "Oh, you don't say." He smiled as he sat up a little more in the bed.

Sarah placed the bowl on the night stand. "Now, we just have to find someone to give it to you."

Chuck reached out grabbed her arm. "Oh I got someone." he smiled up at her.

Sarah pulled his sheet down to his waist. She sat down next to him and submerged the washcloth into the water and wrung it out over the bowl. She ran the washcloth over his bare muscular chest. He closed his eyes and savored the sensations coursing through his body as she ran her hands over his bare skin She bit her lip in attempt to keep her own emotions under control.

Chuck sat up and leaned forward so she could get at his back. His eyes met hers again.

"Thank you Sarah. That feels really good." He reached out and tucked a few of her tresses behind her ear. He leaned in and placed a kiss on her waiting lips. They parted and rested their foreheads against one another's.

"You're welcome." she said.

He leaned in for another kiss, but stopped short when he heard the knocking on the door.

They both sighed heavily and Sarah set down the washcloth and got up to see who was at the door.

"Who is it?" She called out as she approached the door.

"It's us." she recognized Casey's voice and moved quicker to unlock the door. She quickly ushered Casey and Dan inside closing the door behind them.

_**Okay hope you enjoyed. I know it's a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to get something out and I figured it was better than nothing. I would love to hear your feedback. Thanks for reading.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Okay, another long chapter for you all. Lots of Charah fluff (maybe too much if there is such a thing, let me know) Hope you all enjoy! Please leave a review.**_

Chapter 15

Casey quickly entered Sarah's apartment. He was all decked out in his fancy tuxedo, Agent McKinley followed behind him.

"Walker you're not even dressed yet." Casey commented taking in her appearance.

"Casey we still have a couple of hours before the luncheon, besides I've been busy. Devon just left, I've been helping out with Chuck." Sarah closed the door and the two men moved further into the apartment.

"Hmm… How is Bartowski?" Casey asked.

"He's doing pretty good. Seems to be healing well. Devon has been very optimistic."

"Well go get ready. I scoped out some ideal safe house locations last night and I want to get to castle so we can go over them before we leave on our mission."

The more Sarah thought about it, she didn't like the idea of Chuck being moved to a safe house. She wanted him there with her, not off to some remote location by himself.

"Alright, give me half an hour."

Sarah made her way over to Chuck. She leaned down to him. "Sorry, we'll have to continue this later." she whispered in his ear.

"I'm going to hold you to that." he replied giving her a wink.

Sarah smiled at him and then turned to head off to the bathroom.

"How you feeling Chuck?' Dan asked as he approached the bed.

"Not bad. You guys have awesome timing by the way."

Dan smirked. "Sorry about that kid."

Casey removed his tuxedo jacket and placed it on the back of one of Sarah's chairs.

"Work before pleasure Bartowski." Casey chimed in.

"Casey you know what they say about all work and no play?"

"Yeah." Casey replied. "Makes for one hell of a spy."

Chuck and Dan both laughed. Casey just grunted in response and took a seat in a chair by the window.

"So where is this luncheon at today?" Chuck asked.

"The Bellagio Hotel."

"You want some help running surveillance?" Chuck asked.

"Bartowski, you're not working. You're recovering and you're in hiding. Don't forget, you're supposed to be dead."

"I know, I just thought, you might need some help."

"We have some field agents to run surveillance. McKinley will be staying here with you today. Devon is supposed to check in later and once he gives the go ahead, we're moving you two to a safe house until we have Haz."

"What?….No!…I'm not going to a safe house….I'm not leaving Sarah." Chuck protested.

"Chuck you don't have a choice….You being here puts you in danger and it puts Sarah in danger. Our job is to protect you."

"You're not my handlers anymore Casey! I'm a real spy now. I don't need your protection."

"Maybe not Bartowski, but we're your team. And like Sarah said, we look after our team, so cool your jets." Casey barked.

"Chuck don't worry. It will be fine. John and Sarah have been doing this job long before you came along. They are professionals, the best. They'll be fine without you…She'll be fine." Dan reassured him.

Chuck sighed and settled back against his pillow. "Yeah, I know." he admitted. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

* * *

"Is everything set for today?" Haz spoke into the monitor.

"Yes sir." Burke replied. "I wait for her to come to me, then I make my move."

"Don't disappoint me Burke, I want Agent Walker alive."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Sarah emerged from the bathroom and all three men turned their attention to her. She looked absolutely exquisite in a long pink dress. It had thin spaghetti straps that hung over her shoulders, a low neckline and some sequin detail, not to mention it hugged her curves perfectly.

"Damn Sarah." Chuck sat up in the bed. She walked towards them, Chuck's eyes never leaving her.

"How do I look?" She asked.

"Great Walker, now let's go." Casey threw on his tuxedo jacket. And headed towards the door.

"Good Luck Lieutenant." Dan said as she came closer.

"Thank you Dan, and you can call me Sarah." She smiled at him.

"Okay, well good luck today Sarah."

"Guys you mind giving me a couple minutes with Chuck?"

Casey grunted and him and Dan headed out to the hallway to give Sarah and Chuck some privacy.

Chuck sat up in the bed as Sarah approached. She came to sit next to him on the edge of the bed.

"God you are beautiful….You look incredible." He said as she took his hand into hers.

"Thank you." she replied.

"I hate this…I don't want you going up against them…These people are dangerous Sarah."

"Chuck, don't worry, Everything will be fine."

"Please be careful." he pleaded with her.

She leaned in and pressed her lips gently against his. "I'm always careful."

"I love you."

"I love you too." she said resting her forehead against his. "I have to go." she finally said pulling away from him. "Devon will stop by later. Try to eat something today."

Chuck nodded as he watched her stand. She tried to move away from him but he still held onto her hand tightly. He brought it to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on it. The shiny piece of jewelry that adorned her wrist caught his eye.

"Sarah!"

"What?…What is Chuck?…Are you Okay?" The concern evident in her voice. She sat back down on the bed next to him.

"The bracelet?….How did you…..get it?"

Sarah looked down at her wrist and a smile came over her face.

"Casey." she replied.

"Huh?"

"Casey found it. At the crash sight. He knew it was mine, he gave it back to me."

Sarah could see a tear forming in Chuck's eye. "I thought…I thought I lost it."

She brought her hand up to stroke his cheek. "Are you forgetting? It's good luck, remember?" She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.

Chuck sat up and cupped her face with his hands, he pulled her into him and deepened the kiss. Sarah responded eagerly as she pushed him back to the bed. Chuck moaned against her mouth as her tongue made it's way inside his. Sarah trembled as Chuck ran his hand up her bare back, caressing her silky smooth skin.

The pounding on the door distracted them. "Walker, let's go." Casey's voice rang out from the other side of the door. Sarah sighed heavily as she broke their connection.

"Sorry." she apologized as she created some distance between them, both of them seemed saddened by their sudden separation. Sarah grabbed a tissue off of her night stand and wiped at the lipstick that was smeared all over Chuck's face. Pulling a compact out of her purse, she went to work fixing her own as well.

"We have got to talk to him about his timing." Chuck joked. Sarah smiled at his attempt at humor and moved to stand up.

"I have to go."

"Sarah!" he stopped her.

She turned to face him again. "Yeah?"

"Please be safe today." he pleaded one last time.

Sarah made her way over to him once again. She bent down and kissed briefly on the lips. She smiled at him one last time before grabbing her purse and heading out the door, allowing Dan to re-enter the apartment before the door closed.

"Chuck, you hungry? John and I brought some bagels over, I could fix you one." Dan offered as he approached Chuck again.

"Sure. Oh and Dan, speaking of John…What is this I hear about you being Casey's father?"

* * *

"Casey, all of these locations are at least an hour away from here." Sarah said glancing at the listings and photos Casey handed to her.

"Sarah we can't very well have them staying down the street from us. Besides these are ideal locations. They have everything Chuck and McKinley will need. The locations are remote and have all the means necessary to set up our surveillance and security."

"I guess….Well, how about this one." Sarah pulled out a picture from the pile. "This two bedroom cabin looks like it might be a good choice and it's only about an hour and 15 minutes out of Burbank."

"Great, I'll make the arrangements, and once Devon gives us the go ahead to move Chuck, we'll get them settled in." Casey took the listings from her and pulled his phone from his pocket ready to make the arrangements.

Sarah turned her attention back to today's mission. She studied the file on Simon Burke intently. She didn't want to miss a thing. She knew she would have to get close to him and the thought of that turned her stomach, but at this point she would do whatever she needed to find Haz and put him away.

Sarah strapped a knife to one thigh and a small hand gun to the other. The girl had more hardware on her than the household section at Sears. She was bound to be prepared for whatever today had in store for her.

"You about ready to head out?" Casey asked as he re-entered the room.

"Yeah, who do we have on Surveillance today?" Sarah threw another gun into her hand bag, while Casey placed his gun into his holster and put his jacket back on.

"We have Agent Molloy and Agent Collins running surveillance and a field team on standby." Casey replied. "Molloy and Collins are upstairs waiting for us to load the van."

"Alright, let's do this." Sarah started up the stairs of castle, Casey followed closely behind.

* * *

"I'm really sorry Dan. I had no idea. You gave up everything for your country." Chuck felt truly sorry for him and Casey for that matter. Listening to Dan's story, how the CIA had faked his death, took him from his family, how he had to start over, alone.

"It's the job Chuck, You have to know going into this that the time may come where your country comes first, whether you like it or not." Dan looked down at the ground.

"It's not right. Tearing a man away from his family like that. I'll never understand it. They took my father too."

"I'm sorry Chuck."

"He came back to us last year. The worst part was not knowing why he had left us all those years ago."

"Have you forgiven him?"

Chuck nodded. "Yeah, I have, and so has my sister. Just like Casey will forgive you. I know that my father didn't have a choice at the time. He did what he needed to do to protect his family. I know Casey pretty well, he puts up a front but I know deep down, he knows you didn't have a choice. He'll come around, I know he will." Chuck sounded optimistic.

"I hope you're right Chuck."

"I am, don't worry things will work out."

"So enough about my issues, what's going on with you and your lady?

Chuck smiled at the mere thought of Sarah. His lady. Finally.

* * *

Casey pulled the van up alongside the hotel. He carefully parked where they would be well hidden and out of view of the public eye. Casey jumped in the back portion of the van where Agent Molloy and Agent Collins were setting up their surveillance. Sarah looked on from the passenger seat as Casey switched on one of the monitors and pointed out specific areas to the other agents in the van that he wanted them to keep a close eye on. Casey armed himself with one more gun and opened the door to get out.

"Be careful." Agent Molloy said as he exited the van. The two of them shared an intense look with each other that didn't go unnoticed by Sarah before closing her own door.

"I always am." Casey replied before shutting the back door. He turned to meet Sarah who waited patiently for her partner.

"Ready?" he asked as he approached her, extending his arm to her.

"Yeah." she replied as she clasped arms with him and they headed towards the front door of the hotel. "So what was that all about Casey?"

"What was what all about?" he asked.

"Back at the van with Molloy. Something going on with you two?"

"What's that supposed to mean Walker?" Casey was getting defensive.

"Nothing, it just seemed like, I dunno, like maybe you two had something going on."

"You're one to talk Walker, the way you and Bartowski carry on, it's disgusting really."

"Casey, there's nothing wrong with it. She's cute. I think it's great if you found someone you can connect with.'

"Look Walker, for the last time, there is nothing going on between me and Erin."

"Erin?"

"Can we please just get back to the mission?' Casey pleaded not wanting to discuss this any further.

"Fine."

The two agents turned on their ear wigs and entered the hotel.

"Can you hear us?" he spoke quietly into his collar where the small microphone was hidden.

"We hear you Colonel." Agent Molloy responded.

Sarah and Casey scanned the room as they greeted other guests and made small talk.

"There's Burke." Sarah pointed the man at the bar out to Casey.

"Mark at two o'clock." he spoke into his collar.

"Got him." agent Malloy replied as she zoomed in on him on her monitor.

Just as Sarah was about to make her move, the Governor approached.

"What a vision." he said taking hold of her hand, "You must be, Clara, James and Elaine's new Daughter in- law. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

"Yes Governor, so nice to finally meet you. Do you remember my husband James Jr.." She gestured towards Casey, who extended his hand to shake the Governor's.

"Yes, of course, Jimmy. Why I haven't seen you since you were just a boy. Look at you now, a successful business tycoon and a gorgeous new bride to top it all off with."

"I've certainly got it all." Casey boasted as he shook the Governor's hand.

"That you do lad. Please come, let me introduce you to some people."

Sarah turned her attention back to the bar, only to see that Burke was now gone. Casey grabbed hold of her hand as the Governor ushered the two undercover agents off in the opposite direction.

It wasn't until well into the luncheon, during the Governor's toast, where he was thanking all of his supporters that Sarah caught sight of Burke again.

"He's at the bar again." Sarah said as she leaned in closer to whisper to Casey. Casey nodded.

Sarah excused herself from the table and made her way towards the bar.

Sarah came up next to Burke. She signaled the bartender over and ordered a drink. He handed her her beverage and she handed him a large bill.

"Are you a big supporter of the Governor?" she asked the man next to her before taking a sip of her drink.

Burke turned to look at her. He smiled when he saw who the question came from.

"Not really, I kind of got stuck coming to this thing. The food was pretty good though." he joked.

Sarah laughed. "I know what you mean. My husband's family are supporters, much like yourself, I kind of got stuck coming here."

"Your husband? That's too bad, that a woman as beautiful as yourself has settled down, and so young." he gave her a wink.

"Well I wouldn't exactly say I've settled down. Our marriage was more of an arrangement really, by our families. Everything looked good on paper so to speak."

"I see, so what you're saying is that, you are not happy?"

"Not really."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He sounded sympathetic which surprised Sarah.

She took a big swig of her drink, nearly finishing it off in one sip.

"Don't be." she said.

"Simon Burke." he said extending his hand to her.

Sarah accepted his hand. "Clara….Clara Sinclair, nice to meet you."

"Bartender." Burke flagged the man over to him by waving a bill in the air. "Can you get the lady a refill please?" he asked, handing the man the money.

The bartender took the money and 30 seconds later was placing another drink in front of Sarah.

"You didn't have to do that." Sarah said. staring at the glass in front of her.

"It's no trouble, really."

"Well thank you." Sarah picked up the glass and held it up to him. He clinked his own glass against it before taking a sip.

Sarah and Burke engaged in conversation and a couple more drinks for the next half an hour or so.

"I can't believe your husband hasn't come to look for you." Burke noted.

"Well, like I said, it's a marriage of convenience. He honestly could care less where I'm at. He's usually too busy spending his time making business deals and counting money."

"It's a shame really. That someone could be blessed with such an incredibly beautiful, sophisticated, intelligent woman, and take her for granted like that."

"You don't seem like the type of guy who would take their woman for granted." Sarah whispered seductively as she leaned in closer to him.

"Oh, I'm not." His gaze fell to perfectly formed body and he looked her up and down. "What do you say we go find some place a little more private… we can...talk?" He suggested.

"That sounds perfect." she said.

Burke ordered them each another drink before leaving the bar area and heading off to a more secluded area of the hotel. Agent Molloy watched carefully on the surveillance video. Just before Burke and Sarah rounded the corner, She watched Burke very discreetly open the small vial and dump it's contents into Sarah's drink unbeknownst to her.

"Dammitt!" she said. "Colonel, we have a problem."

"What is it Molloy?" Casey got up from his seat and moved as far away from the other

luncheon guests as he could.

"The mark just slipped something into the Lieutenant's drink."

"What? Damn..He knows it's a set up. Where were they headed?"

"They exited the bar and headed toward the east lobby, we've lost visual and audio on them."

Casey quickened his pace as he approached the east lobby. He scanned his surroundings but could not spot Sarah or Burke anywhere.

"Molloy, check our other cameras and do an overview scan of the convention center, see if you spot them anywhere." Casey continued down the hallway, checking every door along the way.

Sarah and Burke continued down the hallway, Burke led her to the back staircase. Sarah couldn't help but think that something about it just didn't feel right to her.

"Simon where are we going? Maybe we should head back. My husband is bound to be looking for me now."

Burke ushered her into a small room, Sarah looked around, it must have been a boarding room for hotel staff or something. It had a small bed, a chair, a phone, nothing extravagant by any means, just the bare necessities.

"Don't be ridiculous Sarah, you said yourself that he could care less where you are." Burke closed the door behind him and turned the lock.

"What did you call me?" she looked at him cautiously as she backed away from him.

"I called you Sarah. That is your name, is it not? Or would you prefer I called you Lieutenant Walker?" he asked moving towards her.

Sarah went to remove her gun from her handbag but Burke stopped her.

"Don't worry Sarah. I'm not going to hurt you. My boss just wants me to bring you in. He has his own plans for you."

"Your boss?"

"Yeah, you may know him as Haz."

Sarah began to feel light headed and weak. "What did you do to me?" she asked.

"Don't worry Sarah, it won't kill you, it's just going to make you drowsy. By the time you wake up from your little nap...well, that will be up to Haz what happens."

Sarah retrieved her gun from her hand bag. She held it up and pointed it strait at his chest. She struggled to hold it firmly.

Burke was just about to go for Sarah's gun when Casey came flying through the door. Within 30 seconds Casey had Burke down on the ground and cuffed. Sarah lowered her arm and dropped down to the floor.

"You alright Walker?" Casey asked.

"He drugged me Casey."

Casey called for Agent Molloy and agent Collins to come in to assist. The field agents came in immediately and escorted Burke out to the van. Just as Casey was making his way over to Sarah to help her on her feet, he was distracted by a muffled sound that appeared to be coming from the closet.

"Did you hear that?" he asked Sarah. she nodded in response. Casey sat Sarah down and the edge of the bed, he cocked his gun and flung open the closet door. Inside the closet, he found the Governor bound and gagged, A large open gash on his forehead.

"Governor?" Casey moved quickly to remove the restraints and the gag. "Are you Okay?"

"Someone attacked me, he tied me up, gagged me and threw me in this closet."

"What did he look like?" Casey questioned.

"He looked like....well....he looked like....me." The Governor replied.

Casey and Sarah shared a look before in unison, the name "Haz." escaped both their lips.

"Molloy, is the Governor still on the premises?" Casey spoke into his hidden microphone once again.

"No, he just left in his limo."

Casey grunted as he helped the real Governor to his feet.

* * *

"Who is it?" McKinley called through the door as he looked through the peep hole.

'"It's me, open up." Devon replied from the other side of the door.

Dan opened the door quickly and ushered the doctor inside.

"Hey." he said making his way into Sarah's apartment. "How are you doing?" he asked Chuck as he approached. Chuck was sitting up in a chair, from the looks of it he and Dan had been playing cards.

"Pretty good." Chuck replied.

"You look good, let me check you out." Devon tossed a buymore bag and his doctor's bag down on the table.

"What's in the bag?" Chuck asked as Devon examined his incision site.

"Oh, Casey had asked me if I could pick up 5 trac phones from the buymore. Says we're going to need them."

Devon continued to take Chuck's vitals and everything looked good. Devon removed the staples from Chuck's incision site and re-closed the wound with a special glue adhesive that would allow him to shower and as soon as Devon gave him the go ahead, he headed for the bathroom to partake in a much needed shower. Chuck smiled thinking about his partial sponge bath earlier. Perhaps he could convince Sarah that it would be a good idea for her to finish it even though he was capable of showering now.

Chuck dried off and threw on a fresh pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. He made his way back out to Dan and Devon who were watching sports center on Sarah's TV.

Chuck took a seat next to them and joined them. He wasn't even relaxing more than five minutes when there was a knocking at the door.

Dan moved to see who it was. He looked through the peep hole and quickly moved aside throwing the door open.

"What happened?" he questioned as he ushered Casey inside who was holding up a barely conscious Sarah.

Dan assisted with Sarah and moved her over to the bed. Devon and Chuck quickly jumped up and were at her side in seconds.

"Sarah? Casey what the hell happened to her?" Chuck was frantic.

"Let me in here." Devon squeezed his way past the 3 other men in the room and began examining her.

"She was drugged." Casey replied.

"What? Well, is it poison, will it kill her?" Chuck asked

"Relax Bartowski, it's just going to make her drowsy, she'll be fine."

Chuck moved to sit next to Sarah on the bed. "Sarah?"

She opened her eyes to look at him. "Hhmmm?"

"Sarah are you okay?" he asked.

"Mmmm....tired.' she replied before closing her eyes again.

"I don't understand, how did this happen?" Chuck questioned.

Casey went on to explain what happened on the mission and how Haz had been there the whole time. He knew they were going to be there and he tried to set them up.

'"Devon, we need to move Chuck as soon as possible. He seems to be doing well, can we move him to the safe house tonight." Casey asked.

"I don't see why not. He is healing nicely."

"No!, Absolutely not! I am not leaving while Sarah is like this."

"She should be fine in a few hours Bartowski. we're not moving you until night fall anyway, we can't take the risk of someone seeing you."

Chuck sighed. He had just come home, the thought of leaving once again and for God knows how long was devastating. He stroked Sarah's forehead as she slept. How was he going to leave her again?

* * *

With Ellie working a double shift, Devon was able to go back to the apartment and pack some things for Chuck to take with him. He brought Dan with him and was able to hook him up with some clothes as well. On the way back to Sarah's they would stop to the store to pick up some groceries and some personal items that they would be needing.

Casey had gone back to castle to give his report to Beckman while Sarah had stayed home to sleep off the drug that was in her system.

"General, we had no idea that Haz was in attendance. There was no way we could have known. No one has even seen this guy's real face." Casey explained to the General.

"Colonel, tell me, do you think that Lieutenant Walker is doing a sufficient Job, heading up this operation?" Beckman asked.

"Of course she is, like I said, we had no way of knowing that Haz would be there or that he was aware of our plans."

"That's not what I mean Colonel. I'm referring to the recent loss she has suffered. I am well aware of how close she and Agent Carmichael had become. It can't be easy for her to continue with the operation, knowing he is dead."

"She's a true professional General." Casey responded.

"Yes, well, you will let me know if it seems to be too much for her. We can't risk anything else going wrong."

"Of Course General."

"Keep me posted. Let me know what you guys get out of Burke." The General signed off and the screen went blank.

He glanced at the monitor that showed Burke in the holding cell. Two agents were interrogating him, well mostly torturing him. They were saving the interrogation for Casey per his orders. He got on his phone and made the last of the arrangements, assembling a team to protect Chuck and McKinley. They would have guards on the premises 24/7 not to mention additional agents to run surveillance. No one would know Chuck or McKinley's true identities. They would be given alias's during their time in hiding. With all of the double agents out there it was extremely difficult knowing who could be trusted and who couldn't. It wasn't a risk Casey was willing to take.

* * *

Sarah stirred in his arms as the drug's effects began to wear off. She blinked her eyes several times as things began to come into focus. "Mmmm…" She stretched her arms.

"Sarah?" He brushed the hair from her face and she opened her eyes to look up at him.

"Hey…What….what happened?" She moved to sit up too quickly. Her hand flew to her head, it was throbbing.

"Easy there. You were drugged. Burke had orders from Haz….Haz is after you." Chuck looked away he couldn't look her in the eyes and pretend he was okay with all of this.

"Chuck?" she sat upright and turned in his arms to face him. She reached out with her hand to touch his cheek and turned his face to look at her. "Hey…talk to me."

Chuck shook his head. "I don't know what to say Sarah."

"Just, tell me what you're thinking." she pleaded with him.

"What I'm thinking? Sarah, I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you. I'm laid up here in bed, not able to do anything. They're moving me to a safe house any minute now, meanwhile this sick bastard is gunning for you. I just got you back. We haven't even had time to really be together, we're just starting out here and yet here we are again being yanked away from one another. I just… I feel like this is all my fault." He turned to look away from her.

"What are you talking about Chuck? How could this possibly be your fault?"

"I never should have uploaded the new intersect. I put you in danger."

"Chuck, no!"

"Yes Sarah. No intersect would mean no Haz and you would be safe."

"You don't know that Chuck." She reached out with her hands, placing one on each of his cheeks. She turned his gaze back to her. "Please do not blame yourself for this. The ring existed long before you uploaded the 2.0. They're after anyone who is trying to bring them down and that has nothing to do with you."

His eyes met hers and she could see the hurt and the fear that resided within them. Sarah leaned in and placed a gentle, lingering kiss on his cheek while she ran her fingers through his untamed curls. "Promise me you'll stop blaming yourself for any of this."

"Sarah. I can't…" He started.

"Promise me Chuck…Please." she pleaded.

"Okay….I promise." he conceded.

"I love you."

"I love you." he replied and the two engaged in yet another steamy lip lock.

* * *

Devon and Dan met up with Casey outside of the Orange Orange, well out of surveillance range to help load up the van. There were two duffel bags one filled with clothes for Chuck and another with clothes for Dan. They loaded several grocery bags in the van.

"Is that it?" Casey asked loading the last bag he saw.

"We got one more." Dan said handing the bag off the Casey. The two shared a look.

"Thanks." Casey said as he took the bag from him and put it in the van. "Let's go get Walker and Bartowski." Casey said as he circled the van and got in behind the wheel.

McKinley hopped in the back and Devon got in the passenger seat. Once everyone was inside, Casey sped off in the direction of Sarah's apartment.

* * *

Sarah draped her arm across his stomach and nuzzled her face into his neck as he casually stroked her arm.

"How badly are you going to miss me?" he asked.

She laughed. "More than you'll ever know."

"How long do you think I'll be gone this time?" He asked, more serious.

"I don't know. But at least we can talk to each other this time. That's why Devon got the phones. We'll all have one. You, me, Casey, Dan and Devon. We'll be able to communicate with one another and it won't be traced. We can talk everyday Chuck. And you'll only be an hour and fifteen minutes away. I'll come out as much as I can. You'll probably get sick of me." She teased.

"I highly doubt that." he replied.

Before he could say anymore, they were distracted by the knocking on the door.

Sarah sighed as she sat up on the bed. "That must be Casey."

Sarah got off the bed and went to open the door. She looked through the peephole to confirm it was Casey before throwing back the deadbolt and opening the door for him.

Casey made his way inside. "Walker, I take it you're feeling better. The drugs out of your system?" he asked.

"Yeah, they seem to be."

"Good. So Devon and McKinley are down in the van waiting, we're all loaded up and ready to go. Chuck I brought you some clothes to change into." Sarah took the clothes from Casey as Chuck moved to get out of the bed. Sarah rushed to his side to assist him.

"I'm okay Sarah. I can do it." his words came out cold and unfeeling and he could see the hurt in Sarah's eyes. He immediately felt horrible.

"I'm sorry. Sarah I didn't mean anything by that. I just…I love you taking care of me…I do…I just…I have to do it myself…you're not going to be there to help me with every little thing."

Sarah nodded, it made sense. He didn't want to be dependant on her. He couldn't be and she respected that.

"I'm sorry, I know you can do it, I just….I was just trying to help."

Chuck stood from the bed, he reached out to stroke her cheek. He leaned in and grazed it with his lips. Chuck took the clothes from her and headed towards the bathroom to change.

* * *

The drive seemed short, at least to Chuck and Sarah it did. They had sat in the back of the van, their fingers laced tightly together. She rested her head on his shoulder and he draped his free arm around her shoulder, both of them dreading their pending goodbye.

Casey drove down the dark secluded, winding dirt road, that was situated in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. It Was definitely an ideal location for someone who wanted to fade away from the rest of the world. The road came to an end and in front of them stood a small cabin.

"We're here." Casey announced turning off the engine. "Let's get you two settled in, I need to get back to castle, I have a long night of interrogating ahead of me."

The car full of agents behind them also came to a stop and everyone vacated their vehicles.

Casey went to speak with the other agents while Dan and Devon began carrying in bags. Sarah and Chuck exited the van. Both grabbed a bag and they headed into the cabin hand in hand.

"Home sweet home." Chuck announced as he took in his surroundings. It actually seemed quite comfortable. It had a living room and small kitchen area, a bathroom and two bedrooms. Chuck couldn't help but think it could have been a nice little getaway spot for him and Sarah had the circumstances been a little different.

Sarah grabbed Chuck's duffle bag and the two headed back towards his bedroom. It was furnished with a full size bed, a nightstand and a dresser. Nothing fancy but Chuck wasn't exactly the fancy kind of guy. It met his needs well. Well all of his needs except for one.

Sarah placed the bag down on his bed and turned to look at him.

"It's not so bad is it?" She asked as she turned to face him, taking both of his hands into hers.

"No, no, it's great." he lied.

She leaned into him and he accepted her into his embrace. He held her tightly in his arms not wanting to ever let go.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_Okay, so here it is my longest chapter yet. I'm really hoping for some more feedback on this chapter, I didn't get nearly as much as I was hoping for with the last chapter. Are people still reading? Hopefully this chapter will offer some satisfaction for all you Charah fans. Enjoy and please review._

**Chapter 16**

The ring operative groaned in pain as the lead pipe came in to contact with his abdomen once again.

"Enough!" Casey ordered his fellow agent to stop as he made his way across the room to them.

Casey leaned down closely to speak into Burke's ear. The man sat limp, tied to a chair, his arms bound tightly behind his back. His face was caked with blood, both old and new. His left eye was swollen shut and he appeared to be barely conscious.

"I'm only going to ask you one last time. Where is Haz?"

"I told you…I don't know…he…contacted me…by phone…Please….please stop…the torture." Burke pleaded.

Casey grunted and moved away from the prisoner.

"I've heard enough. Put him back in the holding cell." Casey ordered the agents. It had been three days since they had captured Burke at the Governor's luncheon and the guy was not cracking. Either he was telling the truth and he didn't know where Haz was or he was exceptional at withstanding torture.

Casey joined Sarah out in the main corridor of Castle. She was totally engrossed in her computer screen. Casey plopped down in a chair next to her, exhausted from this last torture and interrogation session.

"Anything?" She asked not even looking away from her screen.

"No. I'm beginning to think he doesn't know anything." Casey replied.

"Casey I've been thinking about this the past two days and I think that maybe we should move our base of operation away from her for a while." Sarah spoke in hushed tones.

"What? Why?"

"Casey, Haz knew exactly what are plan was the other day. I know we swept castle thoroughly, but we had to miss something. It's like no matter what we do, he's always one step ahead of us. We don't even know who we're looking for. No one even knows what he looks like, we're never going find him if he knows our every move. I think we need to move our base of operations at least for the time being." She suggested. Her voice remaining just barely a whisper as she spoke.

"You could be right. Should I inform the General?" Casey asked.

"No, I want to limit any communication here at Castle." Sarah slipped Casey a note telling him to meet her at her place in two hours.

Casey nodded in agreement after reading it.

"I'm going to grab a bite to eat and run a few errands, I'll see you later." She said getting up from her chair. She grabbed her brown leather jacket off the back of her chair and slipped it on before heading up the stairs and out the door.

As tired as he was, Casey took it upon himself to start another sweep of Castle.

Haz watched on his monitor as Sarah exited the Orange Orange. He slammed his whiskey glass down on his desk. He had watched two nights ago when they dragged Burke inside. Now he watched as the blonde CIA agent walked free. Haz was not pleased to say the least. First he lost his intersect in the plane crash, and now her. He wouldn't have it. He wasn't used to losing and as far as he was concerned, Lieutenant Walker may have won the battle but he would win the war, there was no doubt in his mind about that.

"King me." Dan said moving his red game piece into it's new position in the back row of the checkerboard.

Chuck sighed, taking one of his red checkers and topping off the piece.

"What is it?" Dan asked.

Chuck sat back in his chair. "This sucks."

"What? The game? We can play something else if you're tired of Checkers."

"No, it's not the game." Chuck stood from his chair and began to pace the room. "This." he said gesturing to the cabin with his two hands. "I can't take it anymore. I can't even go out for a walk. I have no idea what's going on with Haz and I haven't even spoken to Sarah in nearly 2 days. What if something has happened?"

"Chuck relax. If something had happened we would have heard about it. She's fine, She's busy doing her job."

"I know, but she hasn't called to check in. She said she would."

"Look, I know how hard this is for you, but Chuck, we could be here for weeks, maybe months. It's only been three days, you need to relax and trust your team."

"I do trust them. They're the only ones I trust. It's just hard to be stuck here when I should be out there helping them. It makes no sense to me. I'm healing, look at me. You'd never know I was shot a week and half ago. I'm ready to go back. I'm ready to work."

"Chuck as much as you may think you are ready to go back, you're not. You would be a liability and not just to yourself, but to your team. Think about it. Do you think that Sarah could concentrate the way she needs to if you were out there with her, so soon. Her focus would be on you the whole time and not on the mission. You'd be putting her in danger."

"Okay Okay….I get it Dan…I just….it's hard just sitting here."

"I know."

"I just need something to do, this sitting around playing checkers just isn't doing it."

"Alright…. So…. how about Monopoly?"

Chuck laughed. "Fine, but I'm the race car."

"So according to Burke, Haz was after me. I think the only way for us to draw him out is pretty obvious. We need to set a trap with me as the bait." Sarah suggested.

"Okay, any suggestions as to how we do that?" Casey asked.

"Well according to this latest Intel that Beckman sent over, Ernesto Vasquez, a ring arms dealer has a meeting set up early next week with a buyer at the Le Montrose Suite Hotel in Los Angeles. I say we intervene. Tomorrow we go back to castle, make our plans, that way if castle is bugged somehow, Haz will know what we're doing. If he's going to make a move he'll do it there. We'll allow him to capture me, Take me back to his hideout. We'll have a large artillery of back up, unbeknownst to him and take him by surprise."

"Not bad Walker, this could work." Casey looked at his watch, it was nearing one in the morning. "Let's call it a night, I'll meet you at castle around o'nine hundred?"

Sarah nodded. She walked Casey to her door and latched the deadbolt after he left.

Sarah made her way into the bathroom and started the shower. She was exhausted and all she wanted was to take a nice hot shower and crawl into bed.

Casey had made his way down the elevator of Sarah's hotel. The doors opened and he made his exit. Making his way to the lobby, Casey did a quick scan of the room. It wasn't long before spotted her, sitting by a window. She seemed lost in thought as she glanced out the window. Casey smiled.

"Hey, sorry I took so long." he said as he approached her.

She smiled up at him. "That's okay. You're here now." She stood to meet him.

"It's kind of late for dinner." he said apologetically looking at his watch again.

"That's okay, I already ate."

"Do you want to grab a drink or something?" he asked.

"Or something." She smiled up at him once again and Colonel John Casey flashed her a thousand kilowatt smile.

"Well let's go then." he said extending his hand to Agent Molloy and the two exited the hotel hand in hand.

Sarah flicked off the bathroom light and made her way to her bed. She turned the lamp on her nightstand on and proceeded to turn off the overhead light. Pulling back the covers, she climbed into the bed and relaxed against the cool sheets. Sarah rubbed her temples and allowed her mind to rest for a few moments and not focus on Haz or the mission. Her mind drifted to the only other possible thing, or person rather, that she could possibly think about. She missed him. She missed his arms around her and wished that he was there with her right now. Her bed felt empty without him. Sarah grabbed the cell phone off of her night stand and dialed his number.

Chuck laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. The soft music flowed from his radio across the room. His mind was flooded with memories of her. He missed her so much and wondered what she was doing right now, if she was okay. Chuck nearly jumped off the bed when the phone on his night stand rang. He was quick to retrieve it and didn't even waste a second to look at the screen to see who it was.

"Hello." he said bringing the phone to his ear.

"Chuck." The sweet sound of her voice came from the other end.

He smiled. "Sarah. Are you okay?"

"I am now." She smiled.

"I was beginning to think you forgot about me." Chuck teased.

"I could never forget about you. I'm sorry I didn't have time to call sooner. Casey and I have been putting in some crazy hours."

"Everything's okay though? I've been worried about you."

"Chuck I promise everything is fine."

"How are you doing? How do you feel?"

"I feel fine Sarah. I feel better everyday."

"Did Devon get up there today to check on you?" She asked.

"Yeah he was here this afternoon."

"What did he have to say? How is your recovery coming along?"

"According to Devon, I will be as good as new in no time. He says I'm doing really well."

"That's great Chuck. I'm so happy."

"Yeah, he says I can resume all light activity and come the end of the week I should be able to increase my activities even more. So yeah I was thinking it would be a great time for you to come visit me."

Sarah laughed. "Chuck!"

"What?" he laughed. "I'm just kidding...well, not really but.."

"So what have you been doing there?"

"You mean besides staring at 4 walls and thinking about you all day?"

She laughed. "Yeah besides all that."

"Well Dan and I have pretty much mastered every board game know to man."

"Do you need anything else? I can get you something if you need it."

"Really? Anything I want?"

"Pretty much. Anything within reason anyway."

"Well how soon can you get here?"

She sighed. "Chuck."

"I know, I know, you're busy with everything there."

"It's not just that Chuck. Haz has it out for me. He could be watching me. I don't want to lead him to you. If anything ever happened to you because of my careless mistake…I couldn't handle that."

"Sarah, I just think this is all unnecessary. I should be there with you. I can protect you for a change. I have the ability to do that now. I can take down Haz."

"Chuck nobody knows what Haz is capable of."

"Sarah, no one knows what I'm capable of. I guarantee you, I can do this."

"I don't want you to do it Chuck. It's not who you are, It's not who I fell in love with." She raised her voice.

Chuck was silent on the other end of the phone contemplating what she was saying.

"I'm sorry." she finally said. "I didn't mean to yell. I just...I miss you....and I hate that you're not here, I hate that you got thrown into this world you never wanted to be a part of. I know how the CIA can change someone and I'm so scared Chuck that I'll lose you to them."

"Sarah, you don't have to be scared. Look I'm not a killer, I don't even like holding a gun, you know that. I haven't changed Sarah, I'm still me. The only difference now is that I'm capable of protecting myself when I need to."

"Chuck I know you have impressive skills now. Skills that go far beyond what your typical spy is capable of, but that doesn't mean you're invincible. I think that has been made very clear. You are after all recovering from a nearly fatal gunshot."

"Sarah, I don't know what you want me to say. Do you want me to say that I'll never get hurt again, or that I'll never be responsible for someone else getting hurt? Do you want me to quit? What is it you want?"

"No...I...I don't know Chuck...look I'm really tired...maybe I shouldn't have called tonight."

"Sarah?"

"Maybe we should just call it a night?"

"Sarah?"

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"Sarah will you stop?...You didn't upset me....The only thing that is upsetting is not being with you. It's just...it's frustrating. All I want right now is to see you. I want to hold you in my arms. I want to kiss you. I just want to be with you. I thought uploading the new intersect would be good for us, that we'd be together. I never thought it would tear us apart….I never thought it would be like this."

"I'm sorry."

'It's not your fault. Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know. I just…. I'm tired Chuck...I'm just tired."

"Well maybe we should call it a night then. Why don't you get some sleep?" He conceded.

"I'll talk to you soon."

"Yeah."

"Goodnight Chuck."

"Goodnight Sarah." and with that they ended the call.

Chuck tossed his phone down on the bed. He folded his arms underneath his head and resumed his staring at the ceiling. This was not how he wanted his conversation to go with her tonight.

Just as he was about to turn off the light next to his bed and turn in for the night his phone beeped indicating a new text message just came through.

Chuck picked up the phone and looked at the screen. Despite his now unsettling mood, he smiled when he read it.

_**"I love you."**_

Chuck responded with his own text. He placed the phone back on his night stand and shut the light.

Sarah just settled in under the covers when his text message came through. She grabbed her phone off her night stand and opened the message.

_**"I love you too. Sweet dreams."**_

The next few days, Sarah and Casey worked diligently by day hashing out their plan in great detail while at Castle, in hopes that Haz would get word of their new mission.

By night Sarah and Casey worked from her hotel room, plotting their real mission in secrecy. They were determined for this plan to work.

Sarah and Chuck's contact had been minimal throughout the week, since their last conversation both were guarded. They would send an occasional text message or leave a voice mail for one another. They hadn't had the opportunity to talk in person since the other night and Sarah couldn't help but think that perhaps that was best for now because if Chuck had any idea what they were planning, There is no way he would allow her to go through with it.

She missed him though. The more days that passed the worse it was. She wanted to see him more than anything. Chuck's Birthday was in two days and she hoped to surprise him, that is if she could sneak away undetected. It would take some careful planning on her end but she was confident that she would be able to pull it off.

"Are we just about done Walker?" Casey asked, jotting down a few quick notes.

"Yeah why, you got a hot date or something?" she joked.

Casey didn't respond, not even with his usual grunt. Shocked by his lack of response, Sarah looked up at him. Casey appeared to be at a loss for words, totally thrown off guard by Sarah's comment. It was all very un-Casey like.

"Oh my God...You do!" Sarah replied.

Casey moved his lips to speak but nothing came out.

"Oh my God! Who is she? Do I know her?"

Finally a small grunt escaped his lips.

"It's just a late dinner. A man's gotta eat."' he replied through clenched teeth.

"Let me guess...Agent Molloy....or should I call her Erin?" Sarah continued. She was having way too much fun watching Casey squirm.

"Drop it Walker."

"Casey, it's not a big deal. You are allowed to go to dinner with a woman, and She's beautiful. You guys are cute together.'

"Are we done Walker?" He asked one final time.

"Yeah we're done."

Casey grabbed his belongings and headed for the door.

"John?" Sarah called from across the room.

Casey reached the door and turn to face her.

"Yeah?"

"Have a good night." She said offering a smile.

Casey smiled back. "Good night Walker."

Sarah was happy that Casey seemed to have found someone, but she couldn't help but feel a little jealous when she thought about her current situation and the man she loved being so far away. Things had been off for them since Chuck was moved to the safe house. After their conversation the other night things were even more distant between them and Sarah hated it. She wanted to talk to him, to hear his voice, but she didn't want to fight with him. Sighing heavily she pulled out her phone.

"Here goes nothing." She said as she punched in his number. She held the phone to her ear as it rang.

It rang exactly five and half times before Chuck answered. She wondered if he had been debating picking up or not.

"Hello." his voice rang out on the other end. His breathing was labored as he spoke.

"Chuck?"

"Oh hey Sarah." his breathing still heavy.

"Chuck are you okay? You're out of breath."

"Huh? Oh...yeah, I was just working out a little."

"What? Working out? Chuck you're supposed to be recovering not working out."

"Sarah relax. I'm not doing anything Devon said I couldn't do. Besides for the first time since I've been here, I am relaxed. It's really helping me clear my head."

"Please don't overdue it. I want you in top form when I get my hands on you."

Chuck laughed. "So what's happening on the home front?"

"Not much. Just trying to get some plans in motion. How are you? I'm sorry I keep missing your calls. I know we haven't really had a chance to talk since the other night."

"It's okay, we're talking now."

"I'm sorry about the other night."

"I'm sorry too."

"Chuck, I don't want to fight with you. it's just, this has been a lot harder for me than I thought it would be."

"I know. I hate seeing you like this. well not that I'm technically seeing you. You know what I mean. I hear it in your voice when I talk to you. I know you're hurting too."

"Well, I think that when all this is over we need to just disappear for a while. A nice long vacation, Just the two of us."

"That sounds...perfect actually. I can't wait. So where would we go?"

"Does it matter?" she replied.

"Not at all, as long as I'm with you."

"Good, I was hoping you would say that."

Chuck glanced down and looked at his watch it was just after 9:30 at night.

"It's pretty early for you, are you done working for the night?"

"Yeah, I'm calling it a day."

"Good, you work too much."

"Until you are here safe at home with me, it will never be too much."

"Well don't overdo it, I want YOU in top form when I get my hands on you."

She laughed.

"God I miss that." He said.

"What?"

"Your laugh. Your smile. All of it. All of you.'

A single tear made it's why down her cheek.

"Sarah? Are you still there?" Chuck questioned, when he was met with silence.

"Yeah I'm here." she sounded somber.

"Are you okay? Sarah are you crying?"

Sarah wiped at her eyes.

"Apparently." she sniffled.

"Awe baby don't cry. I hate it when you cry."

'I'm sorry. I hate it when I cry too. Believe me if I could stop it I would."

"Want to lay down with me?" he asked.

"Huh?" She questioned.

"Go lay down on your bed."

"Chuck?"

"Just humor me would ya?"

"Okay." Sarah walked over to her bed and climbed up on it. She fluffed her pillow and made herself comfy.

"Okay, I'm laying down, now what?"

"Okay I'm laying down too. Now put your phone down on the pillow against your ear so you can hear me. Ill do the same. "

"Okay, done."

"Now close your eyes. Imagine me wrapping you up in my arms, pulling you tightly against me."

Sarah got shivers down her spine. The more he talked, the more she could imagine him there with her. She released a sigh. She was content. How good it felt to be in his arms again.

"Sarah, we would love to have you over for dinner tonight." Ellie tried her best to persuade her.

"Ellie, I would love to, really, but it's not a good night. I already have plans."

"Really? I was hoping maybe we would hear from Chuck tonight. You know it's his birthday."

Sarah smiled. "I know." she said placing her new pink satin negligee into the overnight bag she was packing.

"I'm actually working on a little surprise for the birthday boy." Sarah adjusted the phone, holding it between her ear and her neck as she finished her packing.

"Oh? Care to share?" Ellie prodded.

"Oh, well, just a little romantic homecoming surprise for when he does return.. Hopefully it will be soon."

"I don't know how you do it Sarah. You must miss him so much."

"You have no idea." Sarah sighed into the phone.

"Alright well, Dinner next week then and I won't take no for answer."

"You're on. Maybe not so much wine though."

"I promise, we'll go easy on the wine." Ellie laughed.

"Okay Ellie, it was good talking to you, we'll talk soon I promise."

"Alright Sarah, take care."

"You too."

Sarah hung up the phone and tossed it down on her bed while she finished her packing. She couldn't stop smiling. In less than three hours she would be with Chuck. She couldn't wait to surprise him.

Her phone rang once again. Sarah rushed to pick it up.

"Hello." she spoke into it cheerfully.

"Sarah? Finally I got a hold of you."

"Morgan?"

"Yeah. How are you? How's Chuck? Have you heard anything from him lately? I assume he is still out of town for his new job since I have not heard from him in months."

"Yeah, yeah Morgan, he's still out of town. I actually haven't spoken to him in a while myself. Last I heard he lost his phone and was working on getting a new one."

"Oh really? Damn I was hoping to get a hold of him today. I wanted to wish him a happy birthday. This will be the first year we haven't celebrated his birthday together since we were twelve."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Will you be talking to him today?" Morgan asked.

"I'm hoping to."

"Well if you do Sarah, please tell him I called and wish him a happy birthday for me."

"I will Morgan."

"Thanks Sarah, I appreciate that."

"Morgan…you know, he misses you too."

"He does?"

"Of course, you're his best friend."

"Yeah, well it doesn't feel like it anymore. Usually your best friend calls you back when you leave them a million messages."

"Morgan, He's been busy, I've barely spoke to him myself. He hasn't even called Ellie."

"Look Sarah, you don't have to defend him or apologize for him. I get it, he's busy. This new job has taken over his life. It must be one hell of a job."

Sarah sat on the edge of her bed. She felt bad for Morgan and she understood how he was feeling. She had gone three months without hearing from Chuck, but at least she had known where he was and why it was he wasn't calling. Morgan didn't even have that luxury.

"How have you been doing Morgan? How is everything going with your hibachi training?"

"It's been going well. Anna says my cooking is to die for."

"Really? Well, I look forward to trying it sometime."

"Absolutely. I finish my training come the end of the month. I would love to cook for you. All of you."

"We would love that too Morgan."

"Here you are." Casey handed Erin a glass of wine as he took a seat next to her on his couch.

"Thank you." Erin took a sip from the glass and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. She sat with her legs curled up partially under her and off to the side while her body leaned in towards Casey who sat extremely close to her. He brought his arm around her and she moved in closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"This is nice." she said.

"Mmmm." Casey responded.

Erin nuzzled his neck. Casey set his glass of wine down on the table next to hers. His hand caressed her thigh as she placed kisses on his neck, working her way up to his jaw line.

"John."

"Hmm?"

"I think I love you." She said.

Casey pulled away momentarily to meet her eyes. He smiled.

"I think I love you too." he said before capturing her lips with his once again.

Sarah smiled when the cabin came into her view. She had gotten a later start than she had hoped for, but she was here now and she couldn't hide her excitement. Sarah parked her car and gathered her belongings.

"Lieutenant Walker." the guards greeted her.

"Gentlemen." She replied. "Anything to report?"

"It's been quiet lieutenant." the one guard replied.

"That's good." She said.

Sarah knocked on the cabin door and waited patiently for someone to answer. Moments later she was greeted at the door by Agent McKinley.

"Sarah?"

"Hi Dan."

Dan ushered her inside.

"Chuck is going to be thrilled to see you. What brings you around? Hopefully just a friendly visit."

"It's Chuck's birthday." She smiled as she set a box down on the table.

"Really? He didn't mention it."

"Speaking of Chuck. Where is he?" She asked looking around the cabin not seeing any signs of him.

"He's hiding out in his room. You want me to get him?" Dan asked.

Sarah smiled. "No. I think I'll surprise him."

Sarah made her way to Chuck's bedroom door. She debated knocking but decided that would ruin the surprise. She turned the knob, opening the door slowly, she peered inside. She saw him lying on his bed sporting only a pair of jeans. His hands folded behind his head, his eyes closed. She couldn't tell if he was actually sleeping or just relaxing. She recognized the music that was coming from the stereo. He had made her listen to it once before when they were cover dating. Chuck had asked her to stay in his room for a while because Ellie and Devon had thought he was "getting lucky" with her. Sarah smiled at the memory.

She entered the room and quietly closed the door behind her. Sarah made her way over to the bed. She gently climbed up on the bed next to him. Leaning over him she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Mmmm." he moaned against her lips.

Sarah pulled away only to find that his eyes were still closed. She smiled, he was just too cute for words. She leaned back in and kissed him again. After a few moments she could feel him respond as he began to kiss her back. She heard her name escape his lips and she pulled back to look at him. Chuck opened his eyes briefly and closed them again. He was still half asleep. It was mere seconds before opened them again, doing a double take.

"Sarah?"

"Hi." she said.

Chuck moved to sit up. "Oh My God! You're really here?"

Sarah nodded.

"I thought I was dreaming."

Sarah took hold of his hand. "Happy birthday Chuck." she said before leaning in and placing another kiss on his lips.

"Tell me I'm not dreaming Sarah."

"You're definitely not dreaming." She stroked his cheek with her free hand. "I missed you."

Chuck reached out with his hand. He grabbed hold of her behind her neck and pulled her to him as he fell back to the bed bringing her down on top of him. His lips danced with hers frantically as his tongue begged for entrance into her mouth. She happily obliged and he deepened the kiss. Sarah ran her hands over his bare chest. He held her face with one hand while he used the other to caress her thigh.

"Oh..Chuck." She moaned.

The two parted lips and he pulled her close against him and held her as tight as he possibly could.

"I can't believe how good you look. How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I feel incredible now that you're here."

"Do you like your surprise?" She finally asked.

"I love it. I didn't even know you knew it was my birthday."

Sarah sat up. "Of course I know."

"I love you Sarah."

" I love you." He kissed her again. He never wanted to stop. He was surprised when she cut him off.

"Uh uh uh…" she climbed off the bed and reached her hand out to him. "Not so fast. I have some other birthday surprises for you."

Chuck grabbed hold of her hand and she pulled him towards her off the bed.

"For your other surprises you need to come out of your room."

"You know Sarah, I really don't need any other surprises. I think I have everything I need right here."

Sarah laughed. "Maybe so, but I worked hard on this surprise, you wouldn't want to disappoint me would you?" She pleaded with her big blue eyes and Chuck's heart melted.

"Of course not."

"Good."

Chuck grabbed his t-shirt off the bed and threw it on. Sarah held his hand and guided him out his bedroom and back out in to the living room. Dan looked up from his seat on the couch when he heard them emerge.

"Well if it isn't the birthday boy." Dan said.

"Alright." Chuck replied.

"You didn't tell me it was your birthday Chuck. I would have made you a special dinner or something."

"Yeah well, it wasn't really a happy day, I guess I didn't feel much like celebrating."

"Well I take it, you're feeling happier now. Do you feel like celebrating now?" Dan asked.

Chuck wrapped his arms around Sarah from behind and pulled her against him. "Absolutely." he said. "So you going to cook me up a big birthday dinner?"

"That won't be necessary. I took care of dinner."

Chuck released her from his arms. "What did you do?" he asked. Sarah just smiled.

Chuck took a big whiff as he made his way towards the kitchen. "You didn't?"

Chuck rummaged through the bag that was sitting on the kitchen table. "You did!"

He pulled out the carton. "Sarah! Sizzling shrimp!"

" I thought you might like that." she said. "It's probably going to need to be warmed up though, it's a long drive out here.

"This is awesome."

"Wait there's more." she said making her way out to the kitchen. She walked over to the white box sitting on the counter. She opened it up to show him it's contents. Chuck peered in the box to see the chocolate cake that read 'happy birthday Chuck.'

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

Sarah nodded. "Double chocolate fudge." she replied.

Chuck pulled her in for hug. "Thank you. You didn't have to do all this."

"Chuck it's just a cake and some shrimp. It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal. I'm stuck here celebrating my birthday and you brought everything I would want from home, to me. It's a very big deal." He pulled her closer and held her tightly.

"Well I'm going to let you two enjoy your dinner here. If you need me for anything, I'll be in my room."

Sarah separated from Chuck.

"Don't be ridiculous Dan. I brought plenty for all of us." Sarah said.

"Yeah, come on you haven't lived until you've had sizzling shrimp." Chuck chimed in. "Please eat with us."

"Are you sure? Don't you two want to be alone?" Dan asked.

"We have all night for that." Sarah said.

"We do?" Chuck asked.

Sarah nodded.

"Does that mean you are staying tonight? He asked.

Sarah flashed him a big grin as she nodded once again. Chuck responded with his own big grin.

"Alright then, so what do you say we get this celebration started." Chuck grabbed some plates from the cupboard. "Come on Dan, dig in."

The three of them sat around the table enjoying their dinner.

"So Sarah, Dan's been telling me tons of stories about Casey when he was a kid."

"Oh really?"

"Yup, Dan, tell her about the time Casey decided he was going to surprise you and his mother with breakfast in bed."

Dan laughed. They spent the next hour sharing stories and munching on birthday cake.

Chuck was thrown off guard when Sarah produced a small wrapped package from behind her back.

"What's this?" he asked.

"What does it look like? It's a birthday present." she replied.

"Sarah, you didn't have to get me anything. You've done enough already."

"Chuck have you ever had a birthday where you didn't get a gift?"

"Well no, but I thought YOU were my gift?"

Sarah smiled. "Open the present Chuck."

Chuck removed the wrapping paper and opened the small box to reveal a fancy gold watch.

"Sarah, this is incredible." he pulled it from the box.

"It has a built in microphone and a homing device, oh and It's engraved on the back." She said.

Chuck turned the watch over and read the engraved words.

'_**I will love you until the end of time. Sarah'**_

Chuck smiled. He grabbed Sarah by the wrist and pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her. "I love you Sarah Walker."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. "I love you Chuck Bartowski."

"I'll clean this mess up, if you two want to be alone. Consider it my birthday gift." Dan Chimed in.

Chuck looked at Sarah. "I think I may just take you up on that offer." he said.

"Oh, not so fast." Sarah stood from his lap. "There is one more thing you need to do first."

"What's that?"

Sarah pulled out her cell phone and handed it Chuck.

"You need to call Ellie and you need to call Morgan."

"But Sarah, How am supposed to do that? They will recognize your number."

"I installed a special software on my phone, my number will come up as encrypted, it won't show up on their caller ID's. You need to call them. It's your birthday."

Chuck smiled. "Thank you." He stood up and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Take your time. I will be in your room waiting." She gave him a wink before walking away.

Chuck just smiled. This was turning out to be the best birthday ever. Turning his attention back to the phone in his hand. Chuck dialed his sister's number.

Forty minutes later, Chuck managed to get Morgan off the phone. Dan had finished cleaning up the kitchen and had retired to his room for the evening. Chuck was anxious to do the same, especially since he had Sarah there waiting for him.

Chuck made his way back to his bedroom. A huge grin spread across his face as he entered the room.

The room was dark, lit only with candle light. Soft music filled the air.

"Sarah?" he called out to her when he didn't see her.

"I'm here." she said coming up behind him running her hand down his back.

Chuck turned to look at her. A gasp escaped him when he took in the sight of her. She stood before him wearing a pink satin negligee. It hugged her curves perfectly and accented all her assets. Chuck swallowed hard.

"Wow."

Sarah smiled.

"I take it you like it?" She asked.

"Sarah. You look incredible." He extended his hands to her which she gladly accepted as she walked towards him. "I can't believe you did all this."

"Chuck it's nothing really. I just some candles."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" She asked.

"Every time, I try to tell you how much I appreciate you or what you've done, you play it off like it's nothing. It's not nothing to me Sarah. The little things you've done for me today, they mean everything to me, you mean everything to me."

"I don't know." She looked down at the floor. "I guess, I just wish it could be more. You deserve so much more."

"Are you kidding me? I have you, that's as good as it gets Sarah. Nothing could ever top that, nothing."

Sarah grabbed hold of him and pulled him in for a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he in return wrapped his securely around her waist.

When the need for air became too much for them, they parted lips. She rested her forehead against his. He ran his hands up and down her back caressing her smooth skin.

"Have I mentioned that this is the best birthday I have ever had?" he said.

"Really?" She asked pulling away enough to look him in the eyes.

"Absolutely, and it just keeps getting better and better."

"I want you to be happy Chuck."

"I am. You make me happier than I've ever been."

"I feel the same way. No one has ever made feel like this."

Chuck smiled. He took hold of her hand and pulled her further into the room.

"Dance with me?"

She nodded and he pulled her into his arms. They swayed to the soft music that filled the air. She rested her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms securely around her waist. Chuck gasped when he felt her lips on his neck. It sent shivers down his spine, and at that moment he found it difficult the breathe.

He moved his hand up her side. He leaned down and began trailing kisses down her neck. He moved his mouth across her collarbone. With his hand he gently slid the strap of her negligee to the side causing it to fall off her shoulder. He left kisses in its place causing a moan to escape her lips.

Sarah tugged at the bottom of his t-shirt in an attempt to remove it. Chuck pulled away from her momentarily. Just long enough to remove his shirt for her. He tossed it to the floor and moved back in to close the gap between them. She ran her hands up his bare chest as he attacked her neck once again. Sarah bit her lip in an attempt to stifle the moans she fought to keep in.

Sarah's hands made their way towards the button on his jeans. While he worked at the straps of her negligee. Sarah slid her arm from one strap as he worked on the other, causing the gown to fall to the floor. Chuck took a step back to admire the view in front of him.

"God you're so beautiful." he said taking in the sight before him.

Sarah blushed. She moved in to close the gap between them once again. She leaned in to kiss him. Their lips moved in synch with one another. Sarah felt chills throughout her body as her bare skin came into contact with his. It felt good. It felt right.

"Sarah….are you sure about…this."

She looked up at him. "There will be no going back for us." he said as he gazed into her eyes.

"I don't want to go back. I only want to go forward…Make love to me Chuck."

Chuck smiled and scooped her up into his arms taking her by surprise.

"Chuck! Be careful! You're going to hurt yourself."

Chuck laughed as he laid her down on the bed. He hovered above her momentarily admiring her before easing himself down on top of her. His lips trailed succulent kisses down her neck, while his hand caressed her bare thigh. Sarah toyed with the waistband of his pants and managed to push them down past his hips. Chuck assisted her in removing them the rest of the way. His mouth had made it's way down to her chest. He ran his mouth over one of her breast while his hand gently massaged the other. Sarah threw her head back against the pillow and allowed him to work his magic on her.

Sarah ran her hands through his soft curls, holding him close to her. His name escaped her lips several times as he continued to pleasure her with his mouth. Moments later his mouth found hers once again. He positioned himself between her thighs and they both moaned with satisfaction when he finally entered her. They moved together as one.

Sarah could feel his heart pounding in time with hers. Their bodies in synch with one another. He savored every second with her, as he memorized every inch of her body.

Sarah rolled the two of them over, pushing Chuck onto his back. She moved over him and straddled his waist as they continued to move joined with one another.

He moved his hands up her thighs, caressing her smooth skin. She leaned over him and trailed kisses down his chest.

"Mmmm. Sarah. "

Chuck sat up bringing Sarah with him. Her eyes met his and they shared an intense look with one another. Neither of them had to say anything, their eyes had said it all. He captured her lips with his again. He couldn't get enough of their sweetness. He rolled them over again, never separating from her. Three years of pent up sexual tension, three years of wanting something so badly, three years of loving someone, three years of being deprived one another. There was no going back now.

_**Okay, so there you have it, no interruptions. Charah finally together. Please leave a review I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter.**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Thanks everyone for continuing to stick with this story. Thank you to all of those who continue to leave me feedback. It really inspires me to write more and eager to get another chapter out. Anyway here ya have it, chapter 17. Prepare yourself to be heart warmed. Okay maybe not, but there is a little revelation in this chapter. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 17**

The soft glimmer of sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow on the two as they lay wrapped between the sheets. Their bodies still entwined with one another's.

As he woke, Chuck felt the extra weight from her pressing down on him and he slowly opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw her golden locks draped across his chest. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head and took in her scent. Sarah stirred in his arms and he tightened his grasp on her.

"Mmmm Chuck." escaped her lips as she snuggled in closer to him. Her eyes still closed.

Chuck brushed the hair from her face and gently caressed her cheek. Sarah's eyes opened and she smiled when she was greeted with his beautiful, smiling face.

"Good morning." he said.

"It is a good morning." she replied.

Chuck leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. She responded eagerly. What was only supposed to be a simple good morning kiss, quickly turned into something more and it wasn't long before the two found themselves completely breathless.

" I can't believe you're really here. Tell me last night wasn't a dream." he said as he gazed into her eyes.

"Last night was a dream Chuck. A dream come true." She smiled up at him before attacking his lips with hers once again.

Chuck and Sarah spent the majority of the morning making love and basking in their afterglow. They lied there tangled in the sheets for the longest time, just holding one another, loving one another.

"I have to leave soon." she finally said, breaking the silence and spoiling their afterglow.

"I know." he replied. "I wish you didn't have to. I wish we could just stay here like this forever."

Sarah propped herself up on her elbow to look at him. She reached out with her other hand and stroked his cheek, making her way slowly down his jaw line.

"We're going to have this… soon…I promise. We're going to have everything."

"I love you so much Sarah."

"I love you too."

The smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee roused him from his peaceful slumber. Casey sat up in bed and took a look around the room. He found his boxers on the floor next to the bed. He grabbed them and slid them on.

His nose led him directly to the kitchen. Casey smiled when he saw her at the stove cooking up bacon and eggs, wearing nothing but his shirt from the night before.

"Erin? What's all this?" he asked making his way into the kitchen and over to her.

She smiled at the sight of him in nothing but his boxers. "I wanted to surprise you. I made you breakfast." She said as she shut down the stove and dished out the food onto two plates.

Casey came up behind her and wrapped his arms securely around her waist. "Thank you." he said as he nuzzled her neck. She smiled and turned in his arms. Erin wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He moved in to kiss her. What started out as soft sensual kisses, quickly became heated and urgent. Casey lifted her up off the floor and she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as he continued his attack on her lips.

Casey quickly made his way back into the living room and over to the couch. He laid her back against the cushions and come down on top of her. His lips worked their way down her neck as he worked at the buttons on her shirt.

"Your… breakfast… is going….to… get… cold… John." she said from underneath him, between kisses.

"I don't care." He said as her freed button after button from it's hole.

Erin managed to yank down his boxers as he opened the now unbuttoned shirt and slid the sleeves easily off her arms.

She moaned when she felt his tongue work it's way down her body. Casey returned the sentiment when her fingernails scratched the length of his back. His eyes met hers as he entered her. She wrapped her legs tightly around him and pulled him in closer to her.

"God don't stop." She said.

Casey's eyes met hers once again. They shared an intense look with one another. He cupped her face with his hands. Casey smiled and kissed her once again. One thing was for sure. He was a goner. Colonel John Casey was head over heels in love with this girl.

"Are you sure you can't stay a little longer?" he asked taking her hands into his.

"You know I can't." She replied. The tears welling in her eyes.

"Let me walk you out to your car. Carry your bag for you."

She shook her head no. "No. I'd rather say our goodbyes here… in private." She moved in closer and ran her hand lovingly over his chest. He took the opportunity to pull her into his arms.

"Thank you for the wonderful birthday. It was the best birthday I ever had."

She tightened her arms around his waist. "I love you." She rested her head against his chest.

"I love you, and I love telling you that." he kissed the top of her head.

She looked up at him. The tears had managed to make their way down her face. She kissed him softly on the cheek before pulling away from him. "I'll call you later." she said distancing herself as she picked her bag up from the floor and threw the strap over her shoulder. She didn't want to draw this out any longer than necessary. She wanted to make this goodbye as easy as possible.

"Goodbye Chuck."

She turned to walk towards the door.

"Sarah wait." She stopped and turn to face him again. Chuck approached her frantically and pulled her into his arms again attacking her lips with his. It was a desperate attempt on his part to keep her there or to at least remind her of what she was leaving behind, not that she needed any reminders of that. When their lips parted she rested her forehead against his. When their eyes finally met, she noticed the tears streaming down his own cheeks. Reaching up she brushed them away and left kisses in their place.

"Soon ... I promise." she whispered in his ear. "I love you Chuck Bartowski, more than you'll ever know, I love you."

"Don't forget about me Sarah."

"That would be impossible." She pulled away from him one last time and made her way to the door. She looked back at him one last time and wiped the tears from her eyes before making her exit. Chuck moved to the window and watched as she got into her car and sped off.

The tears poured down her face as she drove away. She looked at the cabin in her rear view mirror and it killed her to think about what she was leaving behind.

"Soon Chuck, I promise you, soon."

Just as Sarah was pulling out onto the main road, a text message came through on her cell phone. Sarah picked it up and looked at the screen. Sure enough, it was from Chuck.

"_**Be safe." **_it read.

She smiled and wiped at the tears making their way down her cheeks. He was always concerned for her safety. Her, one of the CIA's finest. The girl who saved HIS butt on a weekly basis. The girl who never ceased to amaze him.

Casey was already at Castle preparing for their mission that night when Sarah arrived.

Casey's good mood was obvious and Sarah couldn't help but feel just a tad jealous of him.

"Hey Walker." he greeted her as she made her way over to the computer.

"Hey." She replied, draping her coat over the back of her chair.

"How's Bartowski and McKinley holding up?" Casey asked. His voice barley above a whisper, catching her off guard. She had never told him she was going out to see him. She turned to face him, her mouth dropped open.

"What?" he asked. "I know you were up there last night."

"Casey…How did you know I was up there? I tried to be careful, I didn't want to risk Haz following me." She spoke softly as she leaned in to his ear just in case someone was listening to them.

"Relax Walker. I called last night to check in and one of the agents said you were up there. So how's everyone doing?"

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. "They're good. A little stir crazy and anxious to get home, but good."

Casey grunted. "Well assuming things go as planned, perhaps we can make that happen."

Sarah nodded in agreement. "Let's get to work."

"That's right Vasquez, you are to proceed as planned. Let them intervene, think they have the upper hand and then a team will move in. I want Walker alive. You are to bring her to me to deal with personally, understand?"

"Yes Haz, don't worry, she won't know what hit her. It'll be like taking candy from a baby."

"Yes, well see to it that it is. Before the night is over I want her attained."

"Yes Sir, consider it done.

Haz flipped off the screen and ended the conference with Vazquez. Haz was getting frustrated to say the least. He wanted nothing more than to wrap things up with Lieutenant Walker. Haz wanted revenge. He had been unable to complete his own intersect and now with the 2.0 being lost in a plane crash he would never be able to complete it. She would pay for that.

Hours later, Casey and Sarah pulled up to the Le Montrose Suite Hotel just after 7 o'clock.

Casey moved to the back of the van and turned on his surveillance equipment. A team of agents had worked diligently over the past couple days to hack into the hotel's surveillance systems that they could intercept the feed from it. They now had access to every floor of the hotel, not to mention the main lobby, elevators and stairwells.

Sarah was dressed in a fairly short black dress. It was form fitting and hugged all her curves. She slipped in her ear wig and strapped a blade to her inner thigh. Sarah slipped a ring on her finger. It opened up and inside was a white powder substance. She could easily use the substance to drug someone should the opportunity present itself. Sarah's hair was up in a bun. The bun concealed a small tranc dart that was undetected by onlookers.

Casey checked in with his two other vans parked nearby, four of their best field agents in each one.

Sarah reviewed her make up in the rear view mirror and applied a touch up coat of lipstick.

"Ready?" She asked tossing the lipstick into her handbag right next to a small firearm.

"Let's do it." Casey replied.

Sarah nodded and exited the vehicle. Casey watched as she made her way towards the hotel.

"Alright, can you hear me Walker?"

"Affirmative." she spoke into the transmitter that was attached to the underlying edge of her dress.

"Looks like Vasquez is in the bar. Go do your thing…Oh and Walker….be careful."

Casey watched on the monitor as she made her way into the hotel and headed towards the bar.

"Sarah, Vasquez is in the lounge area." he informed her.

Sarah scanned the room and spotted him over in the corner by himself.

"I see him."

Sarah grabbed herself a drink at the bar and made her way across the room to him.

"Hello." she smiled as she approached him. "Is anyone sitting here?" she asked motioning to the seat beside him.

Vasquez sat upright in his seat. "No, no, by all means have a seat." he offered.

"Thank you." Sarah replied as she took the seat closest to him.

"Are you here alone?" he asked, trying to make conversation as he looked her up and down admiring the view. The picture Haz had showed him didn't do her justice.

"It appears so. I was supposed to meet a blind date here, but it appears as though I have been stood up." Sarah sipped at her drink.

"Well the man is a fool, he obviously has no idea what he is missing."

Sarah feigned embarrassment. "Oh stop it. You're too kind." She took another sip of her drink.

"What about you? Are you here alone?" She asked.

"I'm actually here on business. I'm supposed to meeting someone."

"Oh, that's too bad, I was enjoying talking with you." Sarah lied.

"Well he isn't here yet, and my meeting shouldn't take long. Perhaps afterwards you'd like to grab a bite to eat with me? I hear the hotel restaurant is actually quite good."

"That sounds lovely actually. I would like that."

Sarah continued to flirt and make idle conversation with Vasquez. Casey continued to watch the monitors and check surveillance.

"What the…" Casey watched as the man entered the hotel and made his way into the bar.

"Walker, Agent Stevens is there."

Sarah listened to Casey through her ear wig and tried not to react to what he was saying.

Sarah could see Vasquez, leaning to look past her. "Ahh, my colleague is here. Would you excuse me, I promise I will be very quick."

"Oh not at all, I actually need to go make a phone call, I'll meet you back here say ten minutes?" She suggested.

"Ten minutes would be perfect." Vasquez reached out and took hold of her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it before walking away.

Casey watched on the monitor as Vasquez made his way over to Agent Stevens.

"Sarah, he's meeting with Stevens. Stevens is with the ring."

Sarah continued to sit with her back to them. "You need to get out of there, you can't let Stevens see you, it will ruin the whole op."

Sarah stood from her seat and made her way towards the bathrooms. Once she was clearly out of sight, she turned to look back at Vasquez and Stevens as they took a seat at a nearby table. They appeared to be discussing business.

"Stevens is the buyer? I should have known he was with the ring."

"Should we abort the mission?" Casey asked.

"No, we're not aborting. We are taking down Haz tonight. When Stevens leaves, have one of the teams take him in. We'll then proceed as planned."

"You sure about this Walker?"

"Absolutely." She replied.

Sarah continued to watch Vasquez and Stevens across the room. Stevens handed Vasquez a bulky white envelope. Vasquez peered inside briefly before tucking in into the inner pocket of his jacket. The two men shook hands and Stevens stood to leave.

"He's leaving." Sarah announced in to her transmitter.

"We're on him." Casey replied.

Sarah took a deep breath and made her way back out to Vasquez. He stood up to greet her and pull her chair out for her.

"Sorry my dear, I hope you weren't waiting too long." he said.

"No, not at all."

Vasquez signaled a waiter over to them and ordered them each another drink.

"Stevens is in custody." Sarah heard Casey announce.

Sarah waited for the waiter to bring them their drinks before making any kind of a move. A few minutes later, Sarah retrieved a small gun from her handbag and instructed Vasquez to stand up and do as she say. He played innocent and did as instructed, just as planned.

Vasquez stood from his seat and walked with Sarah out of the bar and through the lobby. She instructed him to walk towards the stairwell.

"Easy Walker, his goons are moving in." Casey watched on the monitor as three ring operatives popped out of the woodwork, all in pursuit of Sarah. Everything was going according to their plan.

Vasquez, continued to do as Sarah instructed, he knew the ring agents were moving in. Everything was going according to their plan.

"Head down the stairs Walker. The agents are approaching from both above you and below."

Sarah did as Casey instructed. The next thing she knew, they were surrounded. Sarah surrendered her gun and allowed the men to take her into custody without putting up much of a fight. Casey watched them exit the hotel and load Sarah into a black van. He allowed them to get a good lead before he started following them. He instructed one of their teams to take Stevens back to Castle and place in the holding cell while the other team followed along with him.

They drove for about 15 minutes before the black van pulled down an old dirt road and came to a stop at an old abandoned warehouse. Casey dimmed his lights as he approached. He pulled off the road and parked in a well hidden area. He waited and watched as they dragged Sarah from the van and into the building.

Casey had lost transmission with Sarah right after they had tossed her into the van. They obviously had found her wire and disposed of it.

Casey instructed his team of field agents to leave their vehicle at the main road and approach on foot. They would surround the compound and take them by surprise when given the signal to do so. Casey placed a call for more back up should something go wrong.

The men dragged the blonde into the room, kicking and screaming. They bound her hands tightly to a pipe high above her head, her feet barely touching the floor. One of the agents moved in and placed duck tape over her mouth.

"Welcome Lieutenant Walker." one of the agents said approaching her, gun in hand.

"Your host has been awaiting your arrival. Unfortunately he has been delayed, but he will be with you as soon as possible. We'll be your entertainment while you wait." He leaned in close to Sarah getting right into her face.

Casey made his way around the building two men stood guard by the main door and another one at the back entrance. Casey froze when he heard Sarah's screams coming from inside.

"Walker, I hope you know what you're doing." he said to himself.

"Team stand by." Casey spoke into his radio as he approached a window. He peered inside and saw Sarah, her hands bound above her head. There was blood streaming down her face. A ring agent stood in front of her, baseball bat in hand.

The car pulling up caused Casey's attention to veer from Sarah. Casey watched as the man he knew as Dr. Haz exited the vehicle and entered the building.

"Lieutenant Walker, finally we meet again." He said making his way into the room. He came to stand directly in front of Sarah.

Haz moved in and removed the tape from Sarah's mouth in one quick motion.

"I specifically asked them to bring you to me alive. I'm a little disappointed that they started the torture without me though." He said.

"You bastard! You killed him. You were supposed to help him and you killed him!" She yelled at him.

"I didn't kill him Lieutenant. I never wanted him dead. I wanted his help. When he died, my hopes of replicating the intersect died."

"Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me Lieutenant? We go way back." Haz replied. "Maybe this will refresh your memory." Haz stepped back and began to peel away at the mask. Layer by layer he removed the rubbery material that concealed his true identity.

Once the entire mask was removed the much younger man stood before her. Sarah's mouth dropped open. Casey watched from the window, not believing what he was seeing as Haz revealed his true identity.

"Recognize me now?" he asked in his real voice.

"Lazlo?" Sarah and Casey said in unison as they stared at the man unveiled.

_**Okay, so there you have it. A little blast from the past with Haz's true identity. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. I look forward to your feedback. **_


	18. Chapter 18

_**Sorry this one took a while to get out. I hope you all enjoy it. Things are starting to wind down with this story. I should be wrapping it up pretty soon. I have been having some issues with my scene breaks lately. There are scene breaks in the story, if for some reason they are removed when i post this again, i appologize. **_

_**Enjoy the chapter and please leave a review. Thanks.**_

**Chapter 18**

"So you do remember me Agent Walker, or should I say Lieutenant Walker. I heard you got a promotion. congratulations." Lazlo said moving in closer to her.

"I don't understand. You were in custody. How did you get out?" Sarah questioned the man who appeared nothing more than a mere boy, standing in front of her.

"You underestimate me Lieutenant. Just like everyone else. You know you meet a lot of people on the inside. Smart people Sarah. People who are bitter and seeking revenge. You'd be surprised what one can accomplish on the inside when they have the right connections. People will turn on their own for almost nothing. When I was on the inside I had heard a rumor about this human intersect. Now from my experience rumors circulating around the CIA tend to be more than just rumors. Needless to say, I did a little digging around and imagine my surprise when I came across this file for my old buddy Chuck Bartowski."

Casey called in his back-up to surround the building should there be need for an ambush. He moved in a little closer as he listened to Lazlo explain himself to Sarah.

"I should have figured it out sooner, but even the brightest of minds have their flaws I guess." Lazlo continued.

"Chuck was a friend to you. He tried to help you." Sarah finally spoke.

"Help me? If it wasn't for Chuck Bartowski I would have been a free man. He pretended to be my friend and then he turned on me."

"It wasn't like that and you know it. Chuck is the most…was the most…caring person I have ever met. He always went out of his way to help people. He tried to help you."

Lazlo laughed. "Yes well, I think perhaps your judgment was clouded being that you were sleeping with him. It's a shame things had to end for him the way they did. He had great potential. Together we could have ruled the world."

"Don't think he would have ever betrayed his country or those he cared about to join the likes of you. He was a good man, no he was great man." Sarah replied.

"He was a fool!" Lazlo raised his voice. "I've read the reports Lieutenant. He was a free man. He rid himself of the one thing that bound him to this institution. He could have walked away and never looked back. But no, what does he do? He uploads the 2.0. And why? For what? For a girl? Because he fell in love and couldn't walk away? If anyone's responsible for his death, it's you."

Sarah could feel tears forming in her eyes. Even though she knew Chuck was alive and well, hid away in the safe house, Lazlo's words hit her hard. He was right about one thing, if it wasn't for her, Chuck never would have uploaded the 2.0.

"At least now he truly is a free man, it's a shame he had to die for his freedom." Lazlo continued.

"What do you want Lazlo? Chuck is dead. There is no intersect." Sarah allowed the tears to flow. She found it difficult to decipher between what part of the tears were real and what part were for show.

"The same thing I have always wanted. Revenge. The 2.0 was going to give me everything I could have ever wanted; power, respect, freedom. Chuck died before I could complete the transmission. With him gone, there's only one person I can inflict my revenge on. Any guesses as to who that might be Lieutenant?"

Sarah stood before him, her hands still bound tightly to the piping above her head. Her silence spoke volumes.

"What's the matter Sarah? You seem to be at a loss for words." Lazlo moved in and delivered a blow to Sarah's face so hard that it even caused Casey to flinch. Casey had to fight the urge to storm inside and take out Lazlo right then and there.

Sarah's face fell towards the ground. Her eyes looked down refusing to meet his. "What's the matter Lieutenant. Usually you have so much to say." Lazlo delivered a blow to her stomach, causing her to wince in pain.

"Begin to move it in slowly, wait for my signal." Casey spoke into his radio as he prepared his team to move in for attack.

* * *

Chuck had been pacing the floor for nearly 10 minutes now, Finally looking up from his magazine, Dan spoke up.

"Chuck. What's the problem? You look like you're about to jump out of your skin."

"Huh?… I don't know…I mean, I just…I dunno I just have this feeling….that something's not right. I've been trying to get a hold of Sarah…She doesn't answer, it just goes right to her voice mail." Chuck continued his pacing.

"Well that's not really unusual is it? Leave a message, I'm sure she'll call back." Dan replied.

Chuck shook his head. "No, something doesn't feel right Dan, I'm telling you. I don't know what it is, I just….I have this feeling that I can't shake."

"Why don't you try John." McKinley offered, causing Chuck to stop dead in his tracks.

"Yeah….yeah, I'll call Casey."

Chuck pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Casey's number.

Casey was contemplating his next move when the phone in his pocket began to vibrate. He pulled it from his pocket and grunted when he saw Chuck's number displayed across the screen.

"Excellent timing Bartowski as usual." Casey said before hitting the ignore button on his phone and shoving it back into his pocket. 20 seconds later the phone went off again. Once again, Casey retrieved the device from his pocket. It was Chuck again. Casey frowned as he answered the phone.

"What is it Bartowski?" He spoke into the phone.

"Casey. What's going on? I've been trying to get a hold of Sarah and I can't reach her… I just I have a bad feeling."

"Listen moron, we're in the middle of a mission here, it's not a good time."

"Casey, please….don't hang up….please…just tell me, is Sarah okay?"

"Look Bartowski, we managed to find our guy, Walker used herself as bait. Right now, Lazlo has her held up in this abandoned warehouse on old state road just outside of L.A."

"Lazlo?"

"Oh, yeah, apparently Haz is Lazlo."

Chuck was confused. Lazlo was Haz. What did Lazlo want with Sarah? "Casey is she okay?"

"She will be once I retrieve her and take out Laz…"

"Casey?….Casey?…" The line went dead.

The ring agent tossed the board on the ground that he had just used to hit Casey in the back of the head with. He bent down and picked the large man up and tossed him over his shoulder.

"Oh my God!" Chuck dialed Casey's number again. There was no answer.

"What is it Chuck?" Dan stood up and approached him.

"Something's wrong…They have Sarah….I was talking to Casey and the line went dead….I think they're in trouble."

"Where are they?" Dan Asked.

"An old abandoned warehouse just outside of L.A.. They tracked down Haz. Turns out he's this guy Lazlo that I helped the CIA retrieve over a year ago…Dan we have to get to them, This is a covert mission. Beckman doesn't know they're there. There's no one else. We have to help them."

Dan could see the fear in Chuck's eyes, and knowing that his son was in danger too was unsettling to him. "Okay, but we need to figure out how to get around these guards. Any ideas?" Dan replied.

"I might have one."

* * *

"Boss looks like we got some company." Sarah looked up to see the ring agents escorting all of her field agents inside. Shortly after another agent entered carrying an unconscious Colonel Casey over his shoulder. He tossed him down on the ground.

"John!" Agent Erin Malloy called out. She tried to run over to him but one of the ring agents restrained her.

"Tie them up!" Lazlo ordered the agents.

Sarah closed her eyes. This was not how things were supposed to go down. Her team was captured and things were looking pretty grim for team Bartowski.

* * *

The guards outside the safe house happily accepted the hot coffee that Chuck had offered them. Little did they know, he had laced it with some strong narcotics that Devin had prescribed for him after being shot. Within five minutes, both men were passed out on the front porch landing, snoring as loud as can be.

"Nice work Chuck." Dan said as he and Chuck loaded their guns and strapped on some hardware.

"Thanks….ready?" Chuck asked.

"I'm ready. Are you ready for your first mission as a real spy?' McKinley asked.

Chuck smiled. "Let's do this." he said as he tucked his gun into the back of his pants. Both men headed out the front door of the cabin. Chuck retrieved a set of keys from one of the guard's pants pocket. The two loaded into the guard's car and sped off into the darkness.

* * *

Lazlo's men had moved Sarah's agents to another room in the warehouse. Sarah had heard some screams in the distance. She could only imagine what was happening to them. Casey was cuffed to a steel beam across the room. He was just starting to come to.

Lazlo approached Sarah. Blood dripped from her nose. Her eyes met his.

"Aww what's the matter Lieutenant? You look defeated."

"I'm never defeated." she replied.

"No?….we'll see." he smiled. "Aww, Don't be angry. I realize you must hate me immensely."

"I don't hate you….I feel sorry for you."

"Feel sorry for me? Why would you possibly feel sorry for me?"

"Because of what they did to you. I've read the reports on you too you know. I know you used to be a good kid. Something happened along the way. They changed you."

" Yeah well, we didn't all have handlers like my buddy Chuck did. Regardless, Don't feel sorry for me, things are definitely looking up."

Casey groaned from across the room. One of the Ring operatives took it upon themselves to deliver a blow to Casey's abdomen with his foot, causing Casey to yelp in pain. Sarah turned her head. She had no desire to see her partner tortured.

* * *

Chuck made it back to L.A in record time. He found the road that Casey had spoke of. He dimmed the lights to the car as he slowly made his way down the old path. On their way there, Chuck had made a few phone calls to call in some additional back-up. He told them he was Colonel John Casey, being that Chuck Bartowski was presumed dead.

"I think I see it." McKinley stated as he pointed out what appeared to be a large structure in the distance.

Chuck could barely make it out in the darkness. He pulled the car to the side of the road and parked. "We'll continue on foot. I don't want to risk anyone hearing the car engine."

"Good idea." Dan replied.

The two continued down the path until the warehouse was a mere 50 feet away. They circled the perimeter of the building but saw no signs of any agents standing guard. The two moved in close. They approached an open window where they could see some light shining inside. The two peered inside.

"Oh my God!" Chuck exclaimed. "They have Sarah…They're torturing her…I've gotta get her out of there." Chuck started to run for the front door but Dan grabbed his arm.

"Dan what the hell? Let go."

"Chuck you need to calm down, you're not thinking rationally, you're not thinking like a spy. If you go in there like this, it will be a matter of seconds before they capture you too. How's that going to help her?" Dan peered through the window taking in the scene. "They have John too. We need to do this right. You have incredible skills Chuck. The most advanced I've ever seen. You need to remember your training, find your center and concentrate."

Chuck sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay…okay…I'll take the southbound entrance, you take the north." Chuck peered through the window again. Lazlo and two of his men sat around a table in the middle of the room smoking cigars and playing a hand of poker. "You take out the one on the left and I'll take out the other one. Then we go for Lazlo."

Chuck pointed out who was who to Dan, who took mental notes. The two men dispersed and went their separate ways. Chuck radioed his back up to move in. The compound was surrounded by more than a dozen agents, waiting for his orders.

Minutes later, Chuck and Dan were storming the compound, guns drawn. They both took out their intended targets in the process. Lazlo got up to run. As he tried to make his way past Sarah. She grabbed hold of the piping above her head. Using he upper body strength, she pulled her body up, she raised her legs and struck Lazlo hard, sending him flying across the room. Chuck moved in. reaching down he took hold of Lazlo's shirt and pulled him to his feet.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah."

"You're supposed to be dead." Lazlo replied.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Chuck said taking a swing at him. Chuck struck him directly across the face. This infuriated Lazlo and caused him to retaliate. He pummeled Chuck into the wall and swung at him repeatedly. Much to Chuck's surprise. Although Lazlo was small he sure did pack a good punch.

Sarah toyed with the roped that bound her hands together. She watched across the room as Dan worked to free Casey from his cuffs. Chuck's back-up stormed the compound. Several ring operatives emerged from the back room when they heard gunfire. There was a full blown shootout with Lazlo and Chuck going at each other right in the middle of it all.

"There are several of our field agents being held in the back room." Sarah yelled to the CIA agents as they continued to pour into the room. One of the agents came to assist her, "It's okay, I got it….go help the others." she instructed. The agent nodded and made his way to the back of the building.

Sarah continued to work on her ropes as she watched Chuck's showdown with Lazlo. Several other ring operatives tried to subdue Chuck, but he continued to take them out one by one. Sarah had never seen Chuck like this before. Well just the one time after he uploaded the 2.0. She was impressed. Not one of the ring agents could stand up to him.

McKinley managed to free Casey who immediately went to assist in retrieving their field agents, particularly one Agent Molloy. Dan assisted him. One by one the field agents fled from the building.

"Erin!" Casey called to her from across the room. One of the agents had just finished untying her. She stood up when she heard him call her name.

"John?"

They ran to one another and Casey scooped her up into his arms and she took comfort in them.

"Erin are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm fine….let's get you out of here." he said as he shielded her protectively in his arms.

"No, John.. I have to help them."

Casey and Erin shared a knowing look and he nodded. They went to assist with the rescue

of the other agents and saw to it that every one of them were out of the building safely.

As everyone vacated the building, Chuck and Lazlo continued to duke it out. Chuck had Lazlo by his neck. He pressed him tightly up against the wall. Lazlo smiled.

"Why are you smiling?" Chuck asked.

"Because….you can….kill..me….and…I'll…still….win." Lazlo replied as he struggled to breathe.

"How do you figure that?" Chuck asked loosening his grip a bit.

"Because…of this." Lazlo retrieved the detonator from his pocket. "No matter what happens to me….I'll have my revenge." he said before pushing the button. He looked up at the bomb that was strapped to a nearby rafter.

"What did you do?" Chuck screamed in his face.

Agent McKinley entered the room just as Chuck was delivering one final knock out blow to Lazlo.

"Chuck?"

Chuck looked up at him. "Dan, get out of here, clear the perimeter, there's a bomb."

Chuck ran to Sarah to assist her with her restraints.

"What?"

Chuck pointed up to the explosive. The clock counted down. They had just over a minute to get out there.

Dan ran over to assist Chuck. "We're good Dan, just get everyone out of the way."

Dan gave Chuck an unsure look. "Dan, we got it….go."

Dan turned to walk away.

"Dan!"

"He stopped in his tracks and turned to meet his eyes again. "Yeah?"

"Take Lazlo."

Dan nodded and made his way over to the unconscious man. He picked him up and slung him over his shoulder and exited the building.

Chuck turned his attention back to Sarah as he struggled with the ropes.

"Chuck are you okay?" she asked. Worry evident in her voice.

Chuck reached out and touched her bruised, swollen cheek and a tear fell from her eye.

"I'm fine….Let's get you out of here." He said as he looked up at the clock.

58...57...56... It continued to count down.

"I have a knife." Sarah said. "My left thigh…"

Chuck hiked up her dress and retrieved the knife. He went right to work trying to cut the ropes that bound her.

"Damn, what the hell kind of rope is this?" He said not making very much progress despite all of his efforts.

43...42...41...40...

Sarah tried her best to help Chuck but she too made little if any progress at all.

"Chuck you need to get out of here…Go."

"What?….Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you."

"Yes…go Chuck." She urged him.

"You honestly think I would leave you here like this?"

"Why should we both die Chuck?"

"No one is dying here today Sarah.

27.…..26...25...24...

Chuck yanked on the pipes that Sarah's hands were bound to, trying to loosen them up. Anything it took to free her.

17...16...15...14...

"I love you Chuck.…I always have." Sarah said as she looked at the man in front of her, possibly for the last time.

"Sarah…"

"Chuck…if you love me…You'll go…Please get out of here…You have a family…friends…They can't lose you."

"And I can't lose you….I won't." With everything he had, Chuck pulled down as hard as he possibly could on the pipe once more, causing it to break free.

8...7...6...5...4...

* * *

Agent McKinley waited patiently with Casey, Agent Molloy and the rest of their rescue team, watching, waiting for Chuck and Sarah to come running out. The next thing they knew there was a loud explosion and the building went up in flames. Windows, concrete and debris flew around them. Clouds of dust blurred their vision and burned their eyes, yet as they struggled to see through it all, they saw nothing.

_**Okay so that wraps up chapter 18. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**_


	19. Chapter 19

**The end is in sight. There will probably be about one more chapter after this. Hope everyone is still enjoying. Please let me know what you think.**

_**Chapter 19**_

_As the dust settled from the explosion, flames engulfed what was left of the warehouse. There were no signs of Chuck or Sarah._

"_I'm going in!" Casey exclaimed as he rushed towards the building._

"_John wait!" Dan called out to him._

_Dan no sooner got the words out and another small explosion erupted from inside the building. Casey was caught in it's path, sending him flying backwards. He landed hard. Agent Malloy and Dan were by his side in seconds._

"_John!" Erin called out as she ran to him. Kneeling down next to his motionless body, she cradled his head in her lap. "John...are you okay?" _

"_Uhhh….yeah." Casey replied opening his eyes. He tried to sit up. "I gotta…help…them."_

"_John, no, you're hurt…Stay here, I'll go."_

"_No Erin." Casey protested._

"_No, I will go." Dan chimed in. Reaching out he caught hold of her arm and stopped her in her tracks. "You two stay here."_

_Before anyone could protest any further McKinley ran towards the building. Casey watched as his father disappear into the flames._

_Dan struggled to see through the smoke that filled the air and burned his eyes._

"_Chuck!….Sarah!" he called out to them._

_Dan moved slowly through the debris, searching desperately for the two agents._

"_Chuck!" he called out again. Dan stopped and listened when he thought her heard something. He called out again. "Chuck?"_

_He heard the coughing from across the room. He strained his eyes to see through the smoke and then he spotted them. Chuck slowly moved as he came too. Dan rushed to his side to help him. An unconscious Sarah lay underneath him._

"_Chuck?"_

"_Dan." he coughed as he struggled to sit up._

"_Come on we have to get you out of here." Dan grabbed his arm and tried to help him up._

"_Oh my God Sarah!" Chuck fell back to the ground. He knelt beside her unconscious body. "Sarah."_

"_Is she okay?" Dan asked._

"_I don't know. It looks like… she hit her head." Chuck coughed again. "I have to… get her out of here." Chuck struggled to get on his own feet, stumbling in the process. Dan reached out to steady him._

"_You okay?" Dan asked._

"_Yeah, I'm fine." Chuck bent down and attempted to pick up Sarah but lost his balance again._

"_Chuck stop, I got her." Dan bent down and took her from his arms, hoisting her up in his own arms. _

"_Thank you Dan." Chuck replied as he steadied himself._

"_Come on let's get out of here. Follow me." Dan retraced his steps and headed back through the smoke and the flames in the direction he had entered the building._

_Fire rescue had just arrived on the scene and was getting ready to move in. The medics had arrived and were tending to Casey._

"_There they are!" Erin shouted as she watched Dan emerge from the flames carrying Sarah. The medics moved in and took her from him. Dan turned back and went after Chuck who was lagging behind. Moments later Dan emerged with Chuck. His arm draped around his waist for support._

_Chuck immediately made his way over to the medics who were tending to Sarah._

"_Sarah!" He knelt beside her and took her hand into his. _

"_Sir you need to back up and give us room to work." one of the medics said._

_Another medic tried to put an oxygen mask on Chuck but he pushed it away._

"_Chuck leave the mask on." Dan ordered. Chuck finally conceded._

_The medics had placed another mask on Sarah as they continued to take her vitals. After a few minutes of oxygen Sarah began to cough. Her eyes fluttered open._

"_Sarah!" Chuck pushed his way back in next to her._

_Sarah struggled under the hands of the medics. "Miss you need to relax." they tried to soothe her._

_Chuck tossed down his oxygen mask and moved in close so she could see him. He grabbed her hand once again._

"_Sarah."_

_Her eyes shifted towards him._

"_It's okay baby. I'm right here."_

_After a few moments the medics removed Sarah's mask._

"_Miss can you tell me your name?" one of the medics asked._

"_Sarah." she coughed. Her voice weak, her throat scratchy._

_The medic shone a light in her eyes to check her pupils._

"_Sarah do you know where you are?"_

"_The…ring…headquarters." she coughed._

"_Do you remember what happened?"_

"_There was…a..bomb…it exploded." she continued to answer their questions._

"_Sarah you hit your head, we're going to get you bandaged up here in just a minute. I'm going to have you sit up…nice and slow now." The medic said slowly guiding her to a sitting position. Chuck moved in behind her to help support her. He brought his arms around her and she leaned against him._

"_Good. Now just sit still for a few minutes until you get used to being upright. I'll be back in a few minutes to take care of that head wound." the medic gathered his supplies and walked back over to the ambulance._

_Chuck squeezed her tightly, she leaned into him, turning her head to bury it in his neck._

"_Chuck, what the hell are you doing here?" she finally said breaking the silence between them. "You and Dan are supposed to be at the safe house, How did you get here?"_

"_Oh, I…uh…I kinda drugged the guards."_

"_What!" Sarah sat upright and turned to look at him. She moved too quickly, causing her world to spin. Her hand flew to her forehead._

"_Whoa…whoa, easy there." He pulled her back in his arms. She closed her eyes until everything stopped spinning. Once it had she opened her eyes again. Slowly she turned to meet his gaze._

"_Chuck, what were you thinking?" she asked calmly._

"_I was thinking my team was in danger and they needed my help. I was thinking the woman I love needed me and apparently I was right."_

"_Casey and I had the situation under control. Chuck you could have been killed."_

"_Sarah, you could have been killed, you almost were. And to be quite honest, it didn't look like you and Casey had the situation under control. There's nothing wrong admitting you needed help. We're a team remember?"_

_Sarah was silent, she didn't really know what to say, so she just settled back into his arms. Chuck gladly accepted her. He leaned down and brushed his lips against the top of her head._

_Before either of them could say anything the medic approached with the dressings for Sarah's head wound. He immediately went to work cleaning it and applying the dressings. _

"_Alright, that just about does it." He said applying the last piece of tape over the bandage. "You can take something for pain if you need to." he turned his attention to Chuck. "Observe her closely tonight, watch for any signs of a concussion or head trauma. Sudden loss of consciousness, blurred vision, confusion, throbbing or sharp stabbing pains, vomiting. If she experiences any of that get her to an ER immediately."_

_Chuck shook his head. The medic packed up his supplies and left the two alone once again._

"_Thank you." Sarah said breaking the silence between them._

"_Thank you?" Chuck questioned, not sure what she was thanking him for._

_She turned to face him. Her eyes met his. "For saving me"_

_He reached out with one hand and cupped her cheek, guiding her face closer to his. He leaned his forehead against the side of her face. "I thought I was going to lose you. I'm sorry about leaving the safe house, but Sarah, I just couldn't shake this feeling that you were in danger… When I couldn't reach you on the phone, I called Casey. He told me about finding the hideout, the line went dead, I figured you guys were in trouble, no one else knew about your mission…I had to come Sarah."_

"_I'm glad you did." She turned to look him in the eyes. She reached out to stroke his cheek with her hand. "You were incredible tonight….I've never seen you like that…You are a great spy Chuck." _

_Chuck laughed. "What can I say, I've learned from the best." he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her waiting lips. Afterwards her eyes met his again. _

"_Maybe I'm a little overprotective of you. Force of habit I guess…I just…I don't want to lose you…I love you Chuck Bartowski." _

"_I love you." he replied pulling her body closer. He wrapped his arms securely around her and held her tight. Sarah captured his lips with hers once again._

"_You two alright?" Casey said as he approached with Agent Malloy at his side._

_Chuck and Sarah looked up them._

"_Yeah." Chuck replied. "We're okay. You?"_

"_I'm fine. The Feds have Lazlo and his men in custody. Walker I just spoke to Beckman on the phone, gave her a heads up on what's going down. One of our agents was able to secure some of Lazlo's intel before the explosion. We have a list of names of ring operatives. It's been sent to Beckman and she already has a growing list of double agents being taken into custody. We have a briefing with her tomorrow at noon."_

"_Did you tell her everything Casey?" she turned her attention to Chuck._

"_No, of course not. She still doesn't know about Chuck or McKinley being alive or our classified mission that led to all this." Casey motioned to the chaos happening around them. "I'll let you break that news to her. You are the one heading up the intersect project after all, it's only right she hears it from you." _

_Sarah nodded in agreement._

_Dan approached the group of agents. Casey looked up at him and then turned his attention to Chuck. "Well it looks like you two are sprung, there's no need to keep you two under lock and key any longer."_

"_You mean I can go home?" Chuck asked, a smile spread across his face as he glanced down at Sarah._

"_Yup." Casey replied. "You both can." He glanced at Dan momentarily. "You'll both be needed at the briefing tomorrow though. If you need to you can crash on my couch for one more night." Casey said as he glanced back at Dan._

_Dan was shocked that Casey was even offering. "Thank you John. I appreciate that." _

_Casey nodded in response. "I'm going to go check in with the clean up crew and make sure we're set here. I should be heading out in a few minutes. I'll drop you off at my place then I'm going to head over to castle to work on my report for Beckman. Walker, I told her about the explosion and your injuries, she's not expecting your report before the briefing tomorrow."_

"_Thanks Casey." she replied._

_Casey nodded and headed off in the direction of the clean up crew. Erin followed._

"_So are you heading home then Chuck?" Dan asked._

"_Umm…probably not until tomorrow."_

_Sarah turned in his arms to look up at him. "What?" She was confused._

"_Well it's kind of late, I don't want to be waking Ellie and Devon. They'll have all kinds of questions for me. Besides, I need to keep an eye on Sarah tonight, I'm thinking maybe we should go back to your place for the night." He said turning his attention to her._

"_Sure."_

"_You think you're ready to get up and head out?" Chuck asked. Sarah nodded._

_Chuck stood up and reached down to help her to her feet. "Easy now." he said as she stood up. "You okay?" He asked once she was up on her feet._

"_Yeah."_

"_You ready to go?"_

_Sarah nodded. "Oh…what about all your things at the safe house?"_

"_I can go just go up and get them some other time, it's nothing important." Chuck placed a protective arm around her waist._

"_Well don't you think that when you go home to your sister's tomorrow that she might think it's weird that you don't have any luggage being that you've been gone for months now?"_

"_Oh…yeah, I guess I can head up there after the briefing tomorrow."_

"_Why don't we just go back up tonight and spend the night there, we can pack up your things in the morning and then head back to Burbank."_

"_I don't know Sarah, I was kind of looking forward to not having my every moved monitored by guards, being able to relax and not worry about who's watching me."_

"_Chuck the guards will be gone. It'll be just you and me." Sarah smiled up at him._

_Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Alright, if you want to we can go." Chuck turned his attention to Dan. "I can grab your things for you while I'm up there."_

"_Thanks Chuck, I appreciate it." He patted him on the back before walking away, leaving Chuck and Sarah alone._

_Chuck turned his attention back to her and wrapped his free arm around her waist, bringing her to face him. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck._

"_You do know that you need to take it easy tonight right. Nothing but relaxing." he said to her._

"_I know. I was actually thinking about taking a nice warm bubble bath when we get up there."_

"_Oh yeah?"_

"_Mmmhmm."_

"_Well that does sound relaxing." He pressed his lips softly against her forehead. "Let's get you out of here."_

_With his arm around her waist, Chuck guided Sarah down the dirt road to where he had parked the car._

"_Thanks for letting me stay at your place tonight." Dan said as Casey brought the car to a stop outside his apartment complex._

"_It's no big deal." Casey replied._

"_Yeah John, it is."_

_Casey handed him the key to his apartment. "I'm not sure what time I'll get in, but help yourself to whatever you need."_

_Dan took the key from him. "Thanks." he said as he stepped out of the car. The back door of the Crown Victoria opened and Erin stepped out._

"_It was nice meeting you Agent Malloy." Dan said extending his hand to her._

"_You too Agent McKinley." she said shaking his hand. Dan turned and walked towards the apartment, Erin climbed into the front seat and closed the door._

"_Do you want me to drop you off at your place or do you want to go to Castle with me?" Casey asked Erin as she fastened her seat belt and Casey pulled back out onto the road._

"_John, what's the deal with you two?" she asked._

"_Huh? What do you mean?"_

"_You and Agent McKinley. What's the deal?"_

"_What? It's nothing."_

"_John, it's not nothing." She reached up and placed her hand behind his neck. Casey looked at her and sighed._

"_It's complicated." he said._

"_Tell me John." she said caressing the back of his neck._

"_He's my father." the words were barely audible._

"_What?….your father?….but….you seem so….distant….almost like…strangers."_

"_That's because we are strangers Erin."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_I haven't seen my father since I was twelve years old. Not until two weeks ago that is. I thought he was dead….we were told he was dead."_

"_Who told you he was dead?"_

_As he continued his drive to Castle, Casey told Erin the story of his father's death and their recent reunion._

_Chuck flipped on the light switch as he and Sarah entered the cabin. It was a whole different atmosphere without guards standing post. It was just him and Sarah. The way he preferred it._

"_How you feeling?" he asked turning to her and taking her in his arms._

"_Good, a little tired."_

"_Do you need some aspirin or something?"_

"_No, I'm good."_

_He smiled at her. "Why don't you sit down and relax. I'll go draw you a bath." he walked her over to the couch and sat her down. Chuck leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "I won't be long." he said heading in the direction of the bathroom._

_Five minutes later, Chuck emerged from the bathroom. Sarah sat on the couch, her head rested on the back cushions, her eyes closed. _

"_Sarah, it's all ready." he announced as he approached her. Sarah did not respond._

"_Sarah?" Chuck moved in closer. He sat down on the couch next to her. "Sarah!" still no response. Chuck began to panic. He took hold of her shoulders and gave her a shake. "Sarah!"_

_Sarah's eyes fluttered open. "Huh..What?" she jumped up._

_Chuck's hand flew to his chest as he settled back on the couch with a sigh of relied._

"_What is it Chuck?… Are you okay?" she asked, obviously confused by his behavior._

"_Sarah, you just scared the hell out of me."_

"_What?"_

"_I was calling your name and you weren't responding….I thought with your head injury….I thought something was wrong."_

_Sarah smiled. "I was just sleeping Chuck. It's been a long day. I'm tired." She reached out and took his hand in hers. "Look, I'm fine, really, it's just a little bump on the head, I've had much worse…stop worrying."_

"_I'll never stop worrying about you." He replied. Sarah leaned in and kissed him on the lips._

"_Come on." he said, standing up. He extended his hand to her. "Before your water gets cold."_

_Sarah's eyes lit up when she entered the bathroom. Chuck had drawn her the most amazing, most inviting bubble bath she had ever seen. Candles lit the room and soft music came from a cd player that Chuck must have brought in._

"_Chuck, you didn't have to do all this." She turned to face him._

"_I wanted to." He smiled at her. "Go on, get in, enjoy it."_

_Sarah slowly removed her clothing and Chuck helped her into the tub. She settled into the warm water and closed her eyes as she rested her head on the back edge of the tub._

"_How is it?" Chuck asked._

"_It's the most incredible bath I've ever had."_

_Chuck smiled. "Good. I'll leave you to enjoy it. Just call me if you need anything."_

_Before Sarah could protest, Chuck had exited the bathroom._

_Chuck didn't even make it to the living room before he heard her calling out his name. Chuck quickly rushed back to the bathroom._

"_Everything okay?" he asked peeking his head through the door._

"_You said to call you if I needed anything."_

_Chuck stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him._

"_What do you need?" he asked approaching her._

"_Well I could use some help washing my back." she held out the washcloth to him._

_Chuck flashed his grin. He moved in and sat down on the edge of the tub and took the washcloth from her. Sarah sat upright and turned slightly so Chuck could reach her better. He went to work washing her back. He ran the soapy wash cloth sensually over her bare skin. Sarah closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his touch._

"_That feels good." she said . She opened her eyes and turned to meet his. Sarah grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. The kiss quickly became heated. Chuck teetered on the edge of the tub struggling to keep his balance as Sarah continued her attack on him. Sarah moaned against his mouth as he leaned in to deepen the kiss. Sarah's hand clasped behind his neck pulling him in closer, while the other continued to pull him by the shirt. In his attempt to accommodate her, Chuck's hand slipped from the edge of the tub causing him to come splashing down on top of her._

_Sarah erupted in laughter. Chuck laid there for a moment trying to recover from the initial shock of falling in the water. Sarah brushed the bubbles from the top of his head. Chuck looked up at her with a smile. He was too adorable for words, how could anyone not fall head over heels in love with this man. _

"_Sarah if you wanted me to take a bath with you , all you had to do was ask." _

_Sarah smiled as she leaned back in to capture his lips. _

"_Maybe….you….should….take these….off." Sarah said between kisses as she tugged at the now wet shirt that clung to his body. Chuck just smiled and with a little help from Sarah his clothes were lying in a soaking wet heap on the bathroom floor in no time._

"_How's it coming along?" Erin asked, coming up behind Casey and placing her hands on his shoulders._

"_I'm just about done."_

_Erin began massaging his shoulders. "You're so tense."_

"_Mmmm…That feels good. Thank you."_

_After a few minutes enjoying the feel of her hands work their magic on him, Casey swiveled around in his chair to face her. She ran her finger over the bruise on his forehead caused by the events earlier in the evening. Casey slowly ran his hands up the sides of her hips gently caressing them. She clasped her hands around his neck and leaned in to kiss him. Erin stepped in closer to him and climbed up on his lap. She placed one leg on each side of him so that she was straddling him and settled down on to him. Casey's hands made their way from her hips up her sides and around to her back. She toyed at the buttons on his shirt while trailing kisses down his neck._

"_Erin?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_We probably shouldn't do this here."_

_Erin stopped kissing him and looked up at him, confusion on her face._

"_There's surveillance cameras everywhere. " Casey clarified._

"_Oh…well do you want me to stop?" she asked._

_Casey wheeled across the room in his chair over to a control panel and flipped a couple of switches, shutting down the cameras. "Not at all." he finally replied as he went in for a kiss. Erin happily obliged._

"_Are you ready to get out?" Chuck asked as he trailed kisses down her neck. Sarah's back rested against his chest._

"_Not yet." she replied. "I wish I could just stay like this in your arms forever."_

_He wrapped his arms tighter around her and gave her a squeeze._

"_I love you." she said._

"_I love you." he replied. Sarah turned her head to look back at him. He brought his hand up to caress her cheek as he leaned down and kissed her._

_When their lips parted, she relaxed back into his arms. A few minutes passed before she broke the silence between them._

"_Are you nervous about tomorrow?"_

"_What do you mean?" _

"_Coming home, seeing Ellie. She'll have lots of questions."_

"_I know. You know I hate lying to her."_

"_Do you know what you're going to tell her."_

"_The truth….well as much of it as I can. Like I told her when I left. I was offered a new job, I was training. I'll just have to be a little more vague when it comes to what exactly the job is."_

"_She's going to be so happy to see you."_

"_I know, I'm excited about seeing her too."_

"_She invited me for dinner tomorrow night, Maybe you could surprise her and show up with me."_

_Chuck smiled thinking about his homecoming. "Yeah, that would be nice. You know what else is going to be nice."_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Not having to fake a relationship with you. Not having to hide my feelings for you, being able to love you openly and without any reservations. Everything can be out in the open. Well almost everything, I don't suppose we can go around telling everyone about our unusual career choices."_

_Sarah laughed. "No I don't suppose we could and I am glad that we don't have to fake our relationship anymore. It could be pretty awkward at times. More importantly, I'm glad that I _don't have to hide my true feelings for you." her voice trailed off.

"What is it?" he asked giving her a nudge.

"I just…I just feel like…we've wasted so much time…..Time we could have been together…and it's my fault. If I could have just been honest with myself and with you about how I really felt…If I wasn't such a coward…"

"Hey…hey, You're not a coward Sarah. You are the bravest person I know." he shifted her in his arms so that she was facing him. "The past doesn't matter…What matters now is the present and the future….Our future… together. It's all that matters Sarah."

"I don't deserve you." tears began to well in her eyes.

"What? That's crazy. How could you think that?" he looked at her with shock.

"You're too good for me. You could do so much better than me."

"I highly doubt that Sarah."

"It's true. You know, you think you are lacking somehow, that you can't measure up to guys like Bryce or Cole. What you don't know Chuck is that it's them who can't measure up to you? You are incredibly charming, intelligent, funny, thoughtful, the most caring person I have ever met, not to mention extremely adorable. You are incredibly special Chuck."

"Adorable? Just what every guy wants to be called."

Sarah smiled. She turned to face him. Slowly she shifted her body so that she was straddling his lap.

"I believe I said _extremely_ adorable, not to mention exceptionally sexy." Her lips lingered on his neck. Trailing kisses down his neck line.

"Sarah?" her name escaped his lips. She continued to kiss her way across his collarbone.

"Sarah….Hey." he brought his hand up to her chin. She pulled away to meet his gaze.

"Sarah…Don't ever think that you aren't good enough…As far as I'm concerned, there is no one in this world good enough for _you…_Never forget that." He wiped at the tear that was trickling down her cheek. "You Sarah Walker are truly phenomenal and I am the luckiest guy in the world that you would even show me the time of day."

"Chuck, please…don't say such things."

"I only speak the truth Sarah."

"Chuck, I'm nothing more than a child con-artist turned agent…I've done some terrible things…I."

"Stop! That's not who you are!… Sarah, I know you… Look, I realize there is a lot about your past… your childhood…that I don't know, maybe never will… but I know who you are. That little girl did what she had to do to survive the hand she was dealt… And I'm glad she did, because if she didn't I might never have met her."

"But Chuck.."

"What did I say about the past? None of that matters. You need to let it go Sarah…please just let it go…There is nothing from your past that could ever change the way I feel about you…nothing."

Sarah collapsed against his chest. He could feel the wetness from her tears fall on him. "I love you." She said.

"I love you Sarah."

A few minutes of silence passed as they clung to one another, just enjoying the closeness of one another.

"I think it's time to get out of the tub Sarah…you're turning into a prune." he smiled when she sat upright, her head finally leaving his chest. She looked at her hands and laughed.

"I suppose I am." Sarah slowly moved off of him. She flipped up the switch on the tub allowing the water to slowly begin to drain out of the tub as she stood up. Chuck followed suit. He grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around his waist. He quickly retrieved a towel for Sarah and held it open for her as she stepped out of the tub. He quickly wrapped it around her in attempts to block out the chill in the air. His arms wrapped securely around her from behind. She closed her eyes as she leaned into him. His lips grazed her forehead.

"Wanna go snuggle?" he whispered in her ear. His hot breath sending shivers down her spine.

She turned in his arms, a grin spread across her face from ear to ear. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

"I was thinking maybe we could do something else _before_ the snuggling." She leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips.

Chuck pulled back ending the kiss a little too soon for Sarah's liking.

"Agent Walker, you are supposed to be taking it easy tonight. You know relaxing."

Sarah smirked. "I have every intention of taking it easy. What I had in mind will be very relaxing." She met his lips again with hers.

This time he was much more receptive. Sarah took hold of his hands and pulled him towards the bedroom.

As she stood at the foot of the bed, Sarah released his hands. With one swift motion, her towel fell to the floor. She backed up and climbed onto the bed. Chuck's eyes never leaving her. She crooked her finger at him indicating she wanted him to join her on the bed.

Chuck slowly made his way towards her.

"Chuck?" She propped herself up on her elbows.

He stopped just as he made it to the edge of the bed.

"Yeah?" he responded as he practically drooled over the sight in front of him.

"Lose the towel Chuck."

Chuck's grin spread from ear to ear and in one swift motion, his towel fell to the ground.

_**Another chapter down. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading. Please leave a review.**_


	20. Chapter 20

_**This is it! Lots of Charah fluff, hopefully not too much. Enjoy and thanks for reading. I'm looking forward to your comments.**_

**Chapter 20**

The sun streamed through the window casting shadows on the wall. He shifted his gaze to the clock on the nightstand. 7:15. He smiled. In a couple of hours it would be official. He would be home. Home with his family, his friends and most importantly, home with the woman he loves.

His eyes shifted to the warm body next to him. Her golden hair splayed out on the pillow, a few strands of yellow covered her face. He watched intently as her chest moved up and down in a rhythmic pattern. He smiled. Chuck turned on his side so he was facing her. Reaching out with one hand he brushed the hair from her face. He laid there watching her, completely mesmerized by her beauty for a good 10 minutes before she finally began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open and she was met with his smiling face.

"Chuck." she shifted her body and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

He reached out and caressed her cheek. "Good morning."

Sarah smiled against his touch. "Were you watching me?" she asked.

"Mmhmm." he smiled at her.

Sarah blushed. "You were watching me sleep?"

"Mmhmm." he replied again, running his thumb over her bottom lip. He moved in closer to her.

"How long have you been watching me?" She asked, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Not long, why?" His hand made it's way down her arm and came to rest on her hip.

"I don't know….it's just….it's embarrassing." Sarah turned to hide her face in her pillow.

"What?…Why is it embarrassing?" he moved in even closer, until her body was pressed up right against his. His hand left her hip and tried to brush the hair from her face, forcing her to look at him.

"Look, I'm not exactly the picture of beauty first thing in the morning." she finally turned to meet his eyes.

"Are you kidding me? Sarah you are the definition of beauty. You always take my breath away."

Sarah smiled. He always knew the right thing to say to pull at her heart strings. Sarah propped herself up on her elbow and brushed her lips softly against his. Pulling away she slid in next to him and he welcomed her into his arms. She nestled into him and rested her head on his chest. His lips grazed her forehead.

"What time is it?" She finally asked.

He turned his head to look at the clock again. "About 7:30." he replied.

"We should get packing you up soon."

"I know."

"I can't believe you're finally coming home." She drew circles on his bare chest with her finger.

Chuck smiled. "It's been too long. I can't wait to get home." His lips met the top of her head once again.

She looked up at him. Her chin rested comfortably on his chest as her eyes met his. Leaning up she kissed him on the lips. He ran his hands up and down her back, caressing he silky, smooth skin. He brought one hand up to brush back the blonde tendrils that fell in her face once again.

Just when they found themselves getting carried away with one another, the incessant ringing from the alarm clock on the night stand broke their connection. Chuck

moved to shut it off.

Sarah sighed as his lips left hers.

"Perhaps we should pack it up here. We can always continue this at home." he gave her a wink.

"Hmm, I do like the idea of continuing this at home."

"Well what do you say Agent Walker. We do have a bit of drive ahead of us and a conference with Beckman to get to."

"Yeah." Sarah sat up. "I'm going to take a quick shower."

"I'll pack up my things, maybe fix us something to eat."

"That sounds good." She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. "I'll be quick." she said hopping up from the bed. She headed off towards the bathroom.

Colonel John Casey fiddled with the key in the lock. Giving it a little jiggle, it gave and he was able to open the door. He entered his apartment and was immediately greeted with the aroma of Omelets and Bacon cooking on the stove. He looked around and saw his father slaving away over the hot stove.

"John, are you just getting in?" Dan greeted him.

"Huh…oh…yeah. Lots of paperwork to finish last night with everything that went down."

"Well, come help yourself. I've cooked up quite a feast over here. Hope you don't mind."

"Uh, no…no it's fine." Casey grabbed two plates from the cupboard. He handed one to Dan and the other he started piling up with food. Once he took what he wanted he took a seat on one of the stools at the counter. Dan filled a mug with coffee and handed it to him.

"Thanks." Casey said looking up at him. He took a swig of the hot black liquid and then proceeded to stuff his face with the contents of his plate. Dan filled up his own plate and took a seat on a stool across from Casey.

"So are you ready for your conference with Beckman?" Dan asked as he tried to make small talk.

"Of course." Casey replied. before shoving another forkful of omelet into his mouth.

McKinley took a swig of coffee from his own mug.

"God, I forgot how good of a cook you were. Your breakfasts were always the best." Casey grumbled between bites.

"I remember, I always had breakfast detail when I was home. Your mother was always the baker in the family.

"She makes the best brownies and lets not forget that apple pie." Casey replied a huge smile adorned his face as he thought about the tasty treats his mother used to whip up for them.

Dan smiled at the memories. "Yeah, it was pretty great."

Casey set his fork down on his plate and took another swig of his coffee.

"So I have a question for you." Casey announced, jolting Dan from the memories that were playing out in his head.

"What's that?"

"Now that I know the truth….You know, that you're alive and all….Do you have any plans of filling your wife in on that little detail?"

Dan's eyes met Casey's. "Believe me John, it's not like I haven't given that a lot of thought over the years. I just…I don't know if I can face her….I don't want to hurt her again…She's moved on with her life."

"You don't want to hurt her? It's a little too late for that don't ya think?"

"I know…I just….She's moved on. It's been 20 years John."

"She hasn't moved on Dan. She could never bring herself to move on. She's not like me. She hasn't let you go."

"But you have?"

Casey looked down at his plate. "I did what I had to do to get by." he finally said. "She lives her life for a ghost. "You owe her the truth."

Dan nodded as he took in this new information. It broke his heart that she was unable to move on, That she couldn't get past his death.

"Yeah." Dan replied as he brought the mug up to his lips and indulged in a big sip of coffee.

"Ah, home sweet home." Chuck said as he and Sarah made their way down the steps to castle.

"Yeah right." Sarah replied giving him a smirk.

Chuck laughed.

"How much longer before the briefing with Beckman?"

Sarah glanced at her watch. "About half an hour."

"So it doesn't look like Casey's here yet."

Sarah looked around the room. "Nope." she replied.

Chuck moved in to approach her. "So, we're all alone."

Sarah swallowed hard. "Yup."

Chuck moved in closer and closed the distance between them as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body into him.

"So it looks like we may have a little time to kill while we wait. Any ideas on how we might do that?"

Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck. "I might…have…a few." She replied as she trailed kisses down his neck. His hands moved sensually up and down her back. His one hand moved down her spine and over her bottom where it came to rest. Sarah's lips left his neck only to capture his lips instead. The kiss was one full of passion, desire and want. Their lips only parted when their need for air finally became too much.

"God I want you so bad." his hands came up and cupped her face on both sides as they stared intently into one another's eyes.

"I know, it's like….I just…can't get enough of you. I just want to be with you all the time." she replied.

He leaned in and rested his forehead against hers.

"Sarah, I've never felt so strongly about anyone before. It's so…intense."

"I know."

"Now that we're together….I mean _really_ together…I just…I can't imagine even a day without you. I love you so much."

"I love you Chuck."

He leaned down and captured her lips with his and kissed her fervently, leaving her completely breathless. She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips grazed her forehead and she tightened her grip on him.

"Geesh, get a room Bartowski." Casey said as he made his way through the doorway. Dan followed closely behind.

Chuck and Sarah pulled away from each other and turned their attention to the two men entering the room.

"Glad to see some things never change." Chuck replied. "Still as pleasant as always aren't we Casey?"

"Just telling it like it is Bartowski. Keep it in your pants."

"You're one to talk to Casey."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Casey asked setting the file he was holding in his hand, down on the table.

"I heard about you and your new agent friend. Maybe the four of us can double date sometime?"

Casey grunted. "Don't count on it Bartowski."

"Dan I brought your things back from the cabin. Here's your bag." Chuck handed him the duffel bag that was resting in the corner of the room.

"Thanks Chuck. Actually think most of this stuff belongs to John."

Casey turned his attention to his father. "Keep it." he said.

"You sure John?" Dan asked.

"It's nothing I need." he replied.

"Alright, if you say so."

Sarah looked at her watch. "Beckman's going to be calling in soon. Chuck, maybe you and Dan should head in the back until we're ready for you guys. You can listen in on the monitor back there"

"Alright, just let us know when you need us."

"We will."

He gave her a peck on the cheek as he walked past her. Dan followed him into the back barracks and Casey rolled his eyes.

A few minutes after the men departed, the monitor came alive and Sarah and Casey were greeted with Beckman's face on the oversized monitor.

"Colonel Casey, Lieutenant Walker." She greeted them. "Walker, I'm glad to see you up and about after last night's events."

Sarah rubbed at the goose egg on her forehead as she re-lived last night's events in her mind.

"Thank you General. It wasn't nearly as bad as everyone seems to make it out to be. I'm fine."

"Good to hear. I want to commend you both for your outstanding service. Albeit unorthodox and completely off the books, you managed to bring down the ring with your creative and skillful planning. Since last night, I have had 5 additional double agents removed from my private sector here at the facility. Congratulations."

"Thank you general." Casey replied.

"I only wish that we were able to discover these agents sooner. Had we done so, perhaps Agent Carmichael would still be with us along with one of the CIA's top operatives."

"General, credit must be given to Lieutenant Walker. It was her plan that inevitably led to the Ring's demise."

"Yes Lieutenant, I am quite pleased with your work, I understand how difficult it must have been for you given the circumstances."

"Yes General, it was extremely difficult, but without my incredible team, none of this would have happened. It was definitely a team effort."

"I see." the General replied.

"In fact General, there were a couple key members of our team that you were not aware of." Sarah turned her attention to Casey and motioned for him to go retrieve Chuck and Dan from the back room. She watched as he left to go get them.

"I don't understand. Walker who are you referring to?"

Casey reentered the room, followed by Chuck and Dan.

"General, I'm referring to Agent Dan McKinley and Agent Charles Carmichael."

Beckman's mouth dropped as she saw the two men appear.

"What?..How can this be?…They were both killed in the plane crash."

"Correction General, we were presumed dead in the plane crash." Chuck chimed in.

The team explained to Beckman exactly what happened on the plane and how the two agents struggled to make their way back to Burbank despite Chuck's injuries. They went on to tell her how they were placed in a safe house as they attempted to lure the ring out of hiding and how Chuck played a key role in the capture of Lazlo the night before.

Beckman was impressed to say the least.

"Agent McKinley, you will be compensated for your assistance with this mission, I assume you are ready to return to D.C?"

"That won't be necessary General, My role was minimal. As far as my return to D.C. I would like to postpone it a bit. I have some unfinished personal business that I need to take on first. A few weeks off would be appreciated."

"Very well Agent McKinley. As far as the rest of you go, the ring is no longer a threat. Colonel Casey, you are free to join your old team in Waziristan, you can leave first thing in the morning. Lieutenant Walker, now that Agent Carmichael's training with the 2.0 is complete, there is no longer any reason to continue with the intersect project. He appears to have it under control, We can reconvene in the morning and I will have your new assignment for you, you can take the night to pack."

"Excuse me?…General…No."

"I'm sorry? Is there a problem Lieutenant?"

"General, I don't want a new assignment…I don't…want to leave…I can't leave." She turned to look at Chuck. "I won't."

"Hmm, I see."

"General, about Waziristan and joining my old team. I think I could be of more use right here. It seems to me that, we have a good team right here…the best as far as I'm concerned….It would be a shame to break it up."

The General contemplated what Casey was saying, everyone stood in silence waiting for her response. Finally she spoke.

"Very well Colonel. I can see your point. I'm willing to keep this team operating a bit longer, under one condition….make me look good."

Sarah, Casey and Chuck all smiled.

"Will do General." Casey replied.

"Thank you General." Sarah chimed in.

"Don't make me regret this." Beckman said before signing off.

Sarah smiled and turned to Chuck, who returned the smile.

"What was that Casey? I thought you couldn't wait to get back to your old team?" Chuck asked.

"I'm good here Bartowski."

"But Casey…"

"I said I'm good Chuck!" Casey grunted before walking off. He headed up the stairs towards the Orange Orange.

Sarah and Chuck looked at each other once again and laughed.

"Looks like everything is working out for everyone." Dan chimed in.

"What about you Dan? What's on the agenda for you?" Chuck asked.

"Well like I said, I have some loose ends to tie up here with John, and then I'm off to reunite with my wife."

"Are you serious? That's great Dan!" Chuck beamed. "She'll be thrilled to see you."

"Well I don't know about that."

"Of course she will." Sarah said joining the conversation. "She must really miss you Dan."

"Well, I guess I'll find out won't I."

Sarah stood outside Ellie and Devon's apartment. She knocked lightly on the door and waited patiently. Seconds later the door flung open and she found herself in an instant embrace with Ellie.

"Sarah! I'm so glad you're here. Come in."

Ellie backed off and Sarah slowly stepped inside the doorway.

"We have a special guest tonight Sarah."

Before she could get the words out, Devon entered from the kitchen with one Morgan Grimes following.

"Morgan!" Sarah Exclaimed.

"Hi Sarah." he replied.

"You're back?"

"Yeah. I actually finished up my training and headed home. Ready to start my new career back here in L.A."

"That's great Morgan."

"Morgan is putting his new skills to work tonight Sarah, he is preparing to cook up a storm for us."

"Really?"

"Well come on in Sarah, no sense standing in the doorway." Devon motioned for her to enter.

"Actually, before I do, I have a surprise for all of you."

"You do?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah. Actually, I hope you don't mind, but I kind of brought a guest to dinner." Before anyone had a chance to respond, Sarah stepped back into the doorway and extended her hand. She grabbed hold of her special guest and pulled him into the apartment.

Ellie squealed with excitement when she saw her brother enter the apartment. She rushed towards him. Chuck released Sarah's hand and dropped the duffel bag that had been slung over his shoulder, in order to make room to welcome her into his arms.

"Hey sis." he greeted her.

"You're home. I can't believe you're finally home."

"I know, I can hardly believe it either." Chuck shared a smile with Devon, who was one of the few who could understand the double meaning in Chuck's statement.

Ellie finally released Chuck and pulled him inside.

"Morgan!" Chuck pulled his friend into a hug. "Good to see you buddy."

"You too. It's been too long man. Way too long."

"I know buddy, I know."

Chuck moved into the apartment further and greeted Devon.

"Good to see ya man." Devon said. "You look good."

"Thanks Devon."

"Yeah Chuck, now that he's mentioned it…have you been working out?" Ellie chimed in as she grabbed hold of Chuck's arm and gave it a squeeze. "You seem…bigger."

Chuck laughed. "Yeah, I guess I've been spending a little time in the gym lately."

"Really? That's so unlike you Chuck."

He laughed again. "Yeah I know."

"Well you'll have to tell us all about that over dinner." Ellie turned her attention to Sarah. "Sarah, I'll grab the wine. Red or white?"

"Oh…uh either is fine."

Maybe you two should take it easy with the wine tonight. We don't need to relieve the last dinner party." Devon spoke up.

Sarah moaned. "Maybe he's right." She turned to Chuck. "Don't let me get out of control with the wine tonight."

"Well, while we're waiting on dinner, why don't you fill us all in Chuck on this excursion of yours and what you were so busy with that you couldn't find the time to call."

"Don't worry Ellie, I'll answer all your questions, but before I do that, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to just go unpack my things and get settled in." Chuck picked his duffel bag back up and threw the strap over his shoulder. He turned his attention to Sarah.

"Want to help me?"

Sarah shook her head yes and he extended his hand to her. The two walked the hallway back to his room. Once inside, he closed the door behind them. Chuck tossed his bag down on the floor. He plopped down on his bed and pulled Sarah down next to him. Chuck laid back on his bed. One hand rested behind head as he stared up at the ceiling, the other held Sarah close to him. She rested her head on his chest and draped her arm across his stomach.

"I thought you were going to unpack?" She asked.

"I will….eventually." he turned his head and placed a kiss on her forehead. "God I've missed my bed."

Sarah laughed. "It is pretty comfy."

"So dare I ask about the last dinner party and why Devon is telling you an Ellie to take it easy with the wine tonight."

"Uh, it's possible that we may have had a bit too much to drink. It's actually quite embarrassing."

"How so?"

"Well, lets just say I wasn't dealing well with you being gone for so long, I guess you could say I decided to drown my sorrows… I ended up having to crash here for the night. Spent most of the night in the bathroom throwing up with Devon taking care of me."

"Awe."

"Yeah."

"Well there wont be any drowning any sorrows tonight. I have to admit though, I'm kind of glad to hear that I wasn't the only one missing someone."

She turned her head and rested her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. "Promise you won't leave me again. I can't bear it Chuck."

"Sarah. I'm not going anywhere." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I promise."

"Hey buddy." Morgan pounded on his door.

"Yeah?" Chuck called out.

"Dinner's ready in five." Morgan replied.

"Alright, we'll be out." Chuck replied.

"So much for getting settled in huh?"

"Yeah right."

"You prepared to take on Ellie and Morgan?" Sarah asked.

"Well, I survived the ring, I think I can survive my sister and my best friend."

Sarah sat up and pulled Chuck to a sitting position and he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"You ready?" She asked him as she stood from the bed and extended her hands to him.

Chuck smiled as he took hold of her hands.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He said as he stood from the bed. They left the bedroom hand in hand and headed for the kitchen ready to take on their next mission.

**The End**

_Well there you have it. I can't believe it is finally done. This is the first Chuck fic started nearly a year ago. Thanks to everyone for sticking with it. I hope you all enjoyed it, I would love to hear all your comments, so please leave a review. Also, if you enjoyed this and you have not read it yet, perhaps you will also enjoy my other fanfic, which is completed called "Spies, Secrets and Lies."_


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